Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-00357/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-00357-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RICKY KIRBY,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-08-0357 MCE DAD P

vs.

JIM DENNY, et al.,

Defendants. ORDER

 /

Plaintiff has requested a six-month extension of time to file an amended

complaint pursuant to the court’s order of April 11, 2008. Good cause appearing, the court will

grant plaintiff’s request in part. Plaintiff will be granted thirty days leave to file an amended

complaint.

Plaintiff is reminded that Rule 8(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

“requires only ‘a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to

relief,’ in order to ‘give the defendant fair notice of what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon

which it rests.’” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 127 S. Ct. 1955, 1964

(2007) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47 (1957)). Plaintiff is also advised that he has

an obligation to diligently prosecute this case. If plaintiff no longer wishes to proceed with this

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matter at this time, he should file a request to dismiss this action without prejudice pursuant to

Rule 41(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

Plaintiff has also requested that the court amend its order denying his request for

appointment of counsel. The court has construed plaintiff’s request as a second request for

appointment of counsel. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that district courts lack

authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in § 1983 cases. Mallard v. United

States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain exceptional circumstances, the district

court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Terrell

v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36

(9th Cir. 1990).

The test for exceptional circumstances requires the court to evaluate the plaintiff’s

likelihood of success on the merits and the ability of the plaintiff to articulate his claims pro se in

light of the complexity of the legal issues involved. See Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.2d 1328,

1331 (9th Cir. 1986); Weygandt v. Look, 718 F.2d 952, 954 (9th Cir. 1983). Circumstances

common to most prisoners, such as lack of legal education and limited law library access, do not

establish exceptional circumstances that would warrant a request for voluntary assistance of

counsel. In the present case, the court does not find the required exceptional circumstances. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s April 23, 2008 request for an extension of time is granted in part;

2. Plaintiff is granted thirty days from the date of this order in which to file an

amended complaint; and

3. Plaintiff’s April 23, 2008 request for appointment of counsel is denied.

DATED: April 30, 2008.

DAD:9:ja

kirb0357.36amc

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