Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-02642/USCOURTS-casd-3_10-cv-02642-0/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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CONDALEE MORRIS, 

CDCR #V-96203,

Civil No. 10-2642 AJB (BGS)

Plaintiff, ORDER: 

(1) GRANTING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS

[ECF No. 2]; 

(2) DENYING MOTIONS TO

APPOINT COUNSEL PURSUANT

TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1) 

[ECF Nos. 3, 9]; 

AND

(3) DIRECTING U.S. MARSHAL

TO EFFECT SERVICE OF

SUMMONS AND FIRST AMENDED

COMPLAINT UPON DEFENDANTS

PURSUANT TO FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) 

AND 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d)

vs.

M. BARRA; L. MILLS; D. WHITE;

G.J. JANDA; MACE; JANE DOE,

Defendants.

Plaintiff, Condalee Morris, a prisoner currently incarcerated at the California Correctional

Institution located in Tehachapi, California, and proceeding pro se, has submitted a civil rights

Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has not prepaid the $350 filing fee mandated

by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); instead, he has filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”)

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) [ECF No. 2], as well as two Motions for Appointment of

Counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1) [ECF Nos. 3, 9].

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Before the Court could conduct the required sua sponte screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2) & § 1915A, Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) [ECF No. 7].

I.

Motion to Proceed IFP [ECF No. 2]

All parties instituting any civil action, suit or proceeding in a district court of the United

States, except an application for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of $350. See 28

U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a plaintiff’s failure to prepay the entire fee

only if the plaintiff is granted leave to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See

Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). However, prisoners granted leave to

proceed IFP remain obligated to pay the entire fee in installments, regardless of whether their

action is ultimately dismissed. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) & (2); Taylor v. Delatoore, 281 F.3d

844, 847 (9th Cir. 2002).

Section 1915, as amended by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), further

requires that each prisoner seeking leave to proceed IFP submit a “certified copy of [his] trust

fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) ... for the six-month period immediately

preceding the filing of the complaint.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). Using these certified trust

account statements, the Court must assess an initial payment of 20% of (a) the average monthly

deposit, or (b) the average monthly balance in the account for the past six months, whichever

is greater, and collect that amount as the prisoner’s initial partial filing fee, unless he has no

current assets with which to pay. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1); 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4); Taylor,

281 F.3d at 850. Thereafter, the institution having custody of the prisoner must collect

subsequent payments, assessed at 20% of the preceding month’s income, in any month in which

his account exceeds $10, and forward those payments to the Court until the entire filing fee is

paid. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2); Taylor, 281 F.3d at 847.

The Court finds that Plaintiff has submitted an affidavit that complies with 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a)(1) [ECF No. 2] as well as a certified copy of his prison trust account statement

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and Civil Local Rule 3.2. Plaintiff’s trust account currently

indicates that he has insufficient funds from which to pay an initial partial filing fee. 

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Accordingly, the Court hereby GRANTS Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP [ECF No. 2],

and assesses no initial partial filing fee at this time. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) (court shall

assess initial partial filing fee only “when funds exist”); 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4) (“In no event

shall a prisoner be prohibited from bringing a civil action . . . for the reason that the prisoner has

no assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing fee.”); Taylor, 281 F.3d at 850

(finding that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4) acts as a “safety-valve” preventing dismissal of a prisoner’s

IFP case based solely on a “failure to pay . . . due to the lack of funds available to him when

payment is ordered.”). However, Plaintiff is required to pay the full $350 filing fee mandated

by 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914(a) and 1915(b)(1), by subjecting any future funds credited to his prison

trust account to the installment payment provisions set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

II.

Sua Sponte Screening per 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and § 1915A

The PLRA also obligates the Court to review complaints filed by all persons proceeding

IFP and by those, like Plaintiff, who are “incarcerated or detained in any facility [and] accused

of, sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for, violations of criminal law or the terms or

conditions of parole, probation, pretrial release, or diversionary program,” “as soon as

practicable after docketing.” See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). Under these

provisions, the Court must sua sponte dismiss any prisoner and all other IFP complaints, or any

portions thereof, which are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim, or which seek damages

from defendants who are immune. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A; Lopez v. Smith,

203 F.3d 1122, 1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc) (§ 1915(e)(2)); Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d

443, 446 (9th Cir. 2000) (§ 1915A); see also Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th

Cir. 1998) (discussing § 1915A). “[W]hen determining whether a complaint states a claim, a

court must accept as true all allegations of material fact and must construe those facts in the light

most favorable to the plaintiff.” Resnick, 213 F.3d at 447; Barren, 152 F.3d at 1194 (noting that

§ 1915(e)(2) “parallels the language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)”). 

Here, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s claims in his First Amended Complaint survive the

sua sponte screening required by 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b), and that Plaintiff is

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therefore automatically entitled to U.S. Marshal service on his behalf as to those individuals.

See Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1126-27; 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d) (“The officers of the court shall issue and

serve all process, and perform all duties in [IFP] cases.”); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3) (providing that

“service be effected by a United States marshal, deputy Untied States marshal, or other officer

specially appointed by the court ... when the plaintiff is authorized to proceed in forma pauperis

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915.”).

III.

Motion for Appointment of Counsel [ECF Nos. 3, 9]

Plaintiff also requests the appointment of counsel to assist him in prosecuting this civil

action. The Constitution provides no right to appointment of counsel in a civil case, however,

unless an indigent litigant may lose his physical liberty if he loses the litigation. Lassiter v.

Dept. of Social Services, 452 U.S. 18, 25 (1981). Nonetheless, under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1),

district courts are granted discretion to appoint counsel for indigent persons. This discretion may

be exercised only under “exceptional circumstances.” Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017

(9th Cir. 1991). “A finding of exceptional circumstances requires an evaluation of both the

‘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.’ Neither of these issues is dispositive and

both must be viewed together before reaching a decision.” Id. (quoting Wilborn v. Escalderon,

789 F.2d 1328, 1331 (9th Cir. 1986)).

The Court denies Plaintiff’s request without prejudice, as neither the interests of justice

nor exceptional circumstances warrant appointment of counsel at this time. LaMere v. Risley,

827 F.2d 622, 626 (9th Cir. 1987); Terrell, 935 F.2d at 1017. 

IV. 

Conclusion and Order

Good cause appearing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s Motions for Appointment of Counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1)

[ECF Nos. 3, 9] are DENIED. 

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2. Plaintiff’s Motion to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) [ECF No. 2] is

GRANTED. 

3. The Secretary of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or his

designee, shall collect from Plaintiff’s prison trust account the $350 balance of the filing fee

owed in this case by collecting monthly payments from the account in an amount equal to twenty

percent (20%) of the preceding month’s income and forward payments to the Clerk of the Court

each time the amount in the account exceeds $10 in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

ALL PAYMENTS SHALL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED BY THE NAME AND NUMBER

ASSIGNED TO THIS ACTION.

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this Order on Matthew Cate,

Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1515 S Street, Suite 502,

Sacramento, California 95814.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that:

5. The Clerk shall issue the summons upon Defendants, provide Plaintiff with a

certified copy of both this Order and his First Amended Complaint, and forward them to Plaintiff

along with a blank U.S. Marshal Form 285 for each of these Defendants. Plaintiff shall complete

the Form 285s and forward them to the United States Marshal. The U.S. Marshal serve a copy

of the First Amended Complaint and summons upon each individual Defendant as directed by

Plaintiff on each U.S. Marshal Form 285. All costs of service shall be advanced by the United

States. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(3).

6. Once served, these Defendants are thereafter ORDERED to reply to the First

Amended Complaint within the time provided by the applicable provisions of Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 12(a). See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(g)(2) (while Defendants may occasionally be

permitted to “waive the right to reply to any action brought by a prisoner confined in any jail,

prison, or other correctional facility under section 1983,” once the Court has conducted its sua

sponte screening pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and § 1915A(b), and thus, has made a

preliminary determination based on the face on the pleading alone that Plaintiff has a

“reasonable opportunity to prevail on the merits,” Defendants are required to respond). 

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7. Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendants or, if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon Defendants’ counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document

submitted for consideration of the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original paper to be

filed with the Clerk of the Court a certificate stating the manner in which a true and correct copy

of any document was served on Defendants, or counsel for Defendants, and the date of service.

Any paper received by the Court which has not been filed with the Clerk or which fails to

include a Certificate of Service will be disregarded.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: April 13, 2011

Hon. Anthony J. Battaglia

U.S. District Judge

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