Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-01040/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-01040-1/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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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

NICHOLAS SWANSON, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

DR. SHARAN REDDY, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:16-cv-1040 AC P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights action pursuant to 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has not, however, filed an in forma pauperis affidavit or paid the 

required filing fee of $350.00 plus the $50.00 administrative fee.1 See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914(a), 

1915(a). Plaintiff will be provided the opportunity to submit either the appropriate affidavit in 

support of a request to proceed in forma pauperis or the required fees totaling $400.00. 

 Plaintiff is cautioned that the in forma pauperis application form must be accompanied by 

a certified copy of plaintiff’s prison trust account statement for the six-month period immediately 

preceding the filing of this action. 

Plaintiff has also requested appointment of counsel. ECF No. 2. The United States 

 

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 If leave to file in forma pauperis is granted, plaintiff will still be required to pay the filing fee 

but will be allowed to pay it in installments. Litigants proceeding in forma pauperis are not 

required to pay the $50.00 administrative fee. 

Case 2:16-cv-01040-AC Document 5 Filed 05/23/16 Page 1 of 3
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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). 

“When determining whether ‘exceptional circumstances’ exist, a court must consider ‘the 

likelihood of success on the merits as well as the ability of the [plaintiff] to articulate his claims 

pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved.’” Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 965, 

970 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Weygandt v. Look, 718 F.2d 952, 954 (9th Cir. 1983)). The burden 

of demonstrating exceptional circumstances is on the plaintiff. Id. 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. 

The court has yet to screen the complaint and therefore has yet to determine whether 

plaintiff has stated any cognizable claims or to evaluate plaintiff’s ability to articulate his claims. 

For these reasons, the court finds that appointment of counsel at this early stage would be 

premature. 

Summary 

 Plaintiff needs to file a request to proceed in forma pauperis or pay the filing fee. The 

Clerk of the Court will send plaintiff the form for requesting to proceed in forma pauperis. If 

plaintiff wants to proceed in forma pauperis, he must fill in the form and return it to the court. He 

must file a certified copy of his prison trust account statement for the six months period before he 

filed the complaint. 

 Plaintiff’s request for counsel is denied because it is too early in the case for the court to 

find that exceptional circumstances exist. 

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

 1. Plaintiff shall submit, within thirty days from the date of this order, an affidavit in 

support of his request to proceed in forma pauperis on the form provided by the Clerk of Court or 

the required fees in the amount of $400.00. Plaintiff’s failure to comply with this order will result 

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in a recommendation that this action be dismissed; 

 2. The Clerk of the Court is directed to send plaintiff a new Application to Proceed In 

Forma Pauperis By a Prisoner. 

 3. Plaintiff’s motion for the appointment of counsel (ECF No. 2) is denied without 

prejudice. 

DATED: May 23, 2016 

Case 2:16-cv-01040-AC Document 5 Filed 05/23/16 Page 3 of 3