Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00092/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00092-5/pdf.json

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

---

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GORDON BULLOCK,

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

WASCO STATE PRISON MEDICAL, 

et al.,

 Defendants.

1:14-cv-00092-EPG-PC

 

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF‟S MOTION 

FOR LEAVE TO AMEND, FOR LIMITED 

PURPOSE 

(ECF No. 23.)

ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR COURT 

RULES, WITHOUT PREJUDICE

THIRTY DAY DEADLINE TO FILE 

FOURTH AMENDED COMPLAINT AS 

INSTRUCTED BY THIS ORDER

I. BACKGROUND

Gordon Bullock (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis

in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ' 1983. Plaintiff filed the Complaint 

commencing this action on December 24, 2013, at the United States District Court for the 

Northern District of California. (ECF No. 1.) On January 8, 2014, the case was transferred to 

the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. (ECF No. 5.) 

Case 1:14-cv-00092-DAD-EPG Document 24 Filed 04/21/16 Page 1 of 5
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

On March 31, 2014, Plaintiff consented to Magistrate Judge jurisdiction in this action 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 636(c), and no other parties have made an appearance. (ECF No. 11.) 

Therefore, pursuant to Appendix A(k)(4) of the Local Rules of the Eastern District of 

California, the undersigned shall conduct any and all proceedings in the case until such time as 

reassignment to a District Judge is required. Local Rule Appendix A(k)(3).

Plaintiff‟s Third Amended Complaint, filed on August 20, 2015, awaits the requisite 

screening by the Court. (ECF No. 21.) On February 18, 2016, Plaintiff filed a motion 

requesting leave to amend the complaint. (ECF No. 23.)

II. LEAVE TO AMEND – RULE 15(a)

Under Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may amend the 

party‟s pleading once as a matter of course at any time before a responsive pleading is served. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Otherwise, a party may amend only by leave of the Court or by written 

consent of the adverse party, and leave shall be freely given when justice so requires. Id. Here, 

because Plaintiff has already amended the complaint more than once, Plaintiff requires leave of 

Court to file a Fourth Amended Complaint.

“Rule 15(a) is very liberal and leave to amend „shall be freely given when justice so 

requires.‟” AmerisourceBergen Corp. v. Dialysis West, Inc., 445 F.3d 1132, 1136 (9th Cir. 

2006) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)). However, courts “need not grant leave to amend where 

the amendment: (1) prejudices the opposing party; (2) is sought in bad faith; (3) produces an 

undue delay in the litigation; or (4) is futile.” Id. The factor of “„[u]ndue delay by itself . . . is 

insufficient to justify denying a motion to amend.‟” Owens v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, 

Inc., 244 F.3d 708, 712, 713 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Bowles v. Reade, 198 F.3d 752, 757-58 

(9th Cir. 1999)). 

Plaintiff seeks to amend the complaint “to Deliberate Indifference which caused many 

serious health problems, pain and suffering including a heart attack, Amending to dissmiss [sic] 

Valley Fever Claim of this case, requesting to proceed with case without Valley Fever issue 

(being handled by attorney on Class Action lawsuit).” (ECF No. 23 at 1.) Plaintiff also 

requests “rules of court by which to proceed.” (Id.)

Case 1:14-cv-00092-DAD-EPG Document 24 Filed 04/21/16 Page 2 of 5
3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Discussion

The Court has made a cursory review of the Third Amended Complaint and finds that it 

stems from Plaintiff‟s allegations that medical personnel at Wasco State Prison provided him 

with inadequate medical care, causing him to suffer a heart attack and contract Valley Fever. 

Plaintiff has not submitted a proposed Fourth Amended Complaint, but he indicates his 

intention to file a Fourth Amended Complaint which omits his claims related to Valley Fever. 

The Court finds no bad faith or futility in Plaintiff‟s proposed amendment. It appears that 

Plaintiff‟s proposed Fourth Amended Complaint shall arise from the same events at issue in the 

Third Amended Complaint for this action. Because the Third Amended Complaint awaits the 

Court‟s screening and has not been served, there will be no undue delay or prejudice to 

Defendants in allowing Plaintiff to proceed with a Fourth Amended Complaint. 

Based on the foregoing, the Court finds good cause to grant Plaintiff leave to amend the 

complaint to omit his claims related to Valley Fever. 

III. REQUEST FOR COURT RULES

Plaintiff requests unspecified “rules of court by which to proceed.” (ECF No. 23 at 1.) 

The Court no longer provides paper copies of the complete set of Local Rules to litigants, 

because the Local Rules are now available online via the Court‟s website. However, Plaintiff is 

not precluded from filing a request for copies of specific rules, showing good cause why he 

requires copies of those rules, and the Court will consider his request. Plaintiff is also directed 

to the First Informational Order which was mailed to him on January 22, 2014 and contains 

information about pertinent court rules to be followed in this case. (ECF No. 8.)

IV. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Plaintiff shall be granted leave to file a Fourth Amended Complaint for the limited 

purpose of omitting his claims related to Valley Fever, within thirty days. However, Plaintiff 

may not add unrelated claims in the amended complaint, or allegations of events occurring after 

the original Complaint was filed on December 24, 2013. 

The amended complaint should be brief, Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), but must state what each 

named defendant did that led to the deprivation of Plaintiff=s constitutional or other federal 

Case 1:14-cv-00092-DAD-EPG Document 24 Filed 04/21/16 Page 3 of 5
4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

rights, Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009); Jones, 297 F.3d at 934. Plaintiff must set 

forth “sufficient factual matter . . . to „state a claim that is plausible on its face.‟” Id. at 678 

(quoting Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). There is no respondeat superior 

liability, and each defendant is only liable for his or her own misconduct. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 

677. Plaintiff must demonstrate that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation 

of his rights. Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002) (emphasis added). Plaintiff 

is advised that a short, concise statement of the allegations in chronological order will assist the 

Court in identifying his claims. Plaintiff should name each defendant and explain what 

happened, describing personal acts by the individual defendant that resulted in the violation of 

Plaintiff‟s rights. Plaintiff should also describe any harm he suffered as a result of the 

violation. 

Plaintiff is also advised that an amended complaint supercedes the prior complaint, 

Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F. 3d 896, 907 n.1 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc), and it must be 

complete in itself without reference to the prior or superceded pleading. Local Rule 220. Once 

an amended complaint is filed, the prior complaint no longer serves any function in the case. 

Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the 

involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged. The amended complaint should be 

clearly and boldly titled “Fourth Amended Complaint,” refer to the appropriate case number, 

and be an original signed under penalty of perjury. 

Based on the foregoing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff‟s motion for leave to amend, filed on February 18, 2016, is 

GRANTED, for the limited purpose of filing a Fourth Amended Complaint 

omitting his claims related to Valley Fever; 

2. The Clerk is directed to send Plaintiff a civil rights complaint form;

3. Within thirty days from the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall file a 

Fourth Amended Complaint as instructed by this order; 

///

///

Case 1:14-cv-00092-DAD-EPG Document 24 Filed 04/21/16 Page 4 of 5
5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4. The Fourth Amended Complaint shall be clearly and boldly titled “Fourth 

Amended Complaint,” refer to case number 1:14-cv-00092-EPG-PC, and be an 

original signed under penalty of perjury;

5. Plaintiff‟s request for copies of unspecified court rules is DENIED; and

6. Plaintiff‟s failure to comply with this order may result in the dismissal of this 

case.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 21, 2016 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:14-cv-00092-DAD-EPG Document 24 Filed 04/21/16 Page 5 of 5