Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_04-cv-02548/USCOURTS-azd-2_04-cv-02548-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

JOSEPH A. TRENTON,

Plaintiff,

vs.

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF

CORRECTIONS, et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No. CV 04-2548-PHX-MHM

ORDER

Pending before the Court are Plaintiff Joseph Trenton’s Motion for Appointment

of Legal Counsel (Dkt. #190) and “Motion to Reconsider the Court’s Denial of Plaintiff’s

Oral Motion to Reopen Discovery” (Dkt. #193). After reviewing the pleadings, the Court

issues the following order.

I. MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL

Plaintiff moves the Court to appoint Plaintiff counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

1915(e)(1). (Dkt. #190). In support, Plaintiff states that appointment of counsel is

warranted because (1) “the case is complicated,” (2) “the case requires investigation and

cross-examination,” (3) “there will be expert testimony,” and (4) he “is unable to afford to

hire an attorney.” (Id., p.1). Plaintiff also informs the Court that he wrote to six attorneys

to seek assistance, and of those six, only three responded; and they declined to accept his

case. (Id.).

Case 2:04-cv-02548-MHM Document 214 Filed 08/11/09 Page 1 of 4
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In any event, the Court referred Plaintiff’s case to the Court’s Pro Bono Referral

Program for possible placement of the case with an attorney. However, the matter was

unable to be placed.

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“There is no constitutional right to appointed counsel . . . .” Ivey v. Board of

Regents of University of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 269 (9th Cir. 1982). Nevertheless, “28

U.S.C. § 1915(d) confers on a district court the discretion to designate counsel to

represent an indigent civil litigant.” Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.2d 1328, 1331 (9th

Cir. 1986). That discretion, however, is limited: “counsel may be designated under

section 1915(d) only in ‘exceptional circumstances.’” Id. (citing Weller v. Dickson, 314

F.2d 598, 600 (9th Cir. 1963)). To that end, “[a] finding of exceptional circumstances

requires an evaluation of both ‘the likelihood of success on the merits [and] the ability of

the petitioner to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues

involved.’” Wilborn, 789 F.2d at 1331 (quoting Weygandt v. Look, 718 F.2d 952, 954

(9th Cir. 1983)).

Here, despite Plaintiff’s contention to the contrary (Dkt. #198), Plaintiff has not

demonstrated an inability to articulate his claims in light of the complexity of the legal

issues. Plaintiff’s numerous motions and citations to case law in this case clearly

demonstrate that Plaintiff is capable of competently presenting his arguments in light of

the two remaining issues for trial: (1) whether Klein was deliberately indifferent to

Plaintiff’s suffering; and (2) whether Defendant Massey was aware of a substantial risk of

harm to Plaintiff posed by the conditions in the shower and whether she disregarded that

risk. (Dkt. #181, pp. 24-25). Thus, even if Plaintiff was able to show a likelihood of

success on the merits, because Plaintiff is able to articulate his claims pro se, the Court

cannot find that exceptional circumstances exist to permit the Court to designate counsel

under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d).1

 The Court must deny Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of

counsel.

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II. MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION

Plaintiff moves the Court to reconsider its denial of Plaintiff’s oral motion to

reopen discovery at the June 2, 2009 Final Pretrial Conference. (Dkt. #193). Plaintiff

requests that the Court permit Plaintiff to determine “if the interrogatories obtained in this

case – specifically how judgment for monetary damages will be satisfied – are still valid.” 

(Id., p.1). Specifically, Plaintiff is concerned that the State of Arizona – as a result of the

fact that Defendant Klein obtained private counsel and is no longer being represented by

the Office of the Attorney General – might “elect by statute to withdraw from paying

damages for Defendant Klein,” and that Defendant Klein might “pull a Bernard Madoff,

and liquidate all his assets.” (Id., pp. 5-6).

First, “[a] motion for reconsideration should not to be used to ask a court to rethink

what the court ha[s] already thought through – rightly or wrongly.” Defenders of

Wildlife v. Browner, 909 F.Supp. 1342, 1351 (D. Ariz. 1995) (internal quotation marks

and citation omitted). Plaintiff’s motion asks the Court to rethink what it has already

thought through, i.e., whether the Court should reopen discovery to allow Plaintiff to

conduct discovery into whether the State of Arizona will continue to be liable for any

judgment awarded against Defendant Klein. (Dkt. #188). Second, Defendant Klein’s

counsel already represented to the Court at the Final Pretrial Conference, and again in

response to Plaintiff’s Motion for Reconsideration, that the State of Arizona will continue

to be financially responsible for any judgment awarded against Defendant Klein. (Dkt.

#204). Thus, Plaintiff’s question has already been answered, and his motion for

reconsideration is moot.

Accordingly,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED denying Plaintiff’s motion for appointment counsel. 

(Dkt. #190).

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED denying Plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration as

moot. (Dkt. #193). 

DATED this 5th day of August, 2009.

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