Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-05770/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-05770-1/pdf.json

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

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CURTIS M. JOHN-CHARLES,

Plaintiff,

 v.

BEN CURRY, Warden,

Defendant. /

No. C 07-5770 CW (PR)

ORDER (1) GRANTING MOTION TO

RECONSIDER; (2) VACATING ORDER

DISMISSING PLAINTIFF JOHN

CHARLES'S ACTION WITHOUT

PREJUDICE; (3) SEVERING HIS

CLAIMS; AND (4) OPENING CLAIMS

IN A NEW CASE

Plaintiff Curtis M. John-Charles, is a prisoner of the State

of California who is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. 

Plaintiff John-Charles filed this pro se civil rights case along

with two other Plaintiffs. At the time they filed the complaint,

Plaintiffs were confined at the Correctional Training Facility

(CTF) in Soledad. 

I. Granting Motion to Reconsider and Vacating Order Dismissing

Plaintiff John-Charles's Complaint

In an Order dated January 11, 2008, the Court dismissed

Plaintiffs' complaints for failure to provide proper in forma

pauperis (IFP) applications. 

On January 28, 2008, Plaintiff John-Charles filed a completed

IFP application.

On January 29, 2008, Plaintiff John-Charles filed a "Motion to

Appeal Judgment; Motion to Reconsider and Objection to Order of

Dismissal (Without Prejudice)." Plaintiff states that he has

Case 4:07-cv-05770-CW Document 12 Filed 01/31/08 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

1

 In a separate Order, the Court has also vacated the Order of

Dismissal Without Prejudice as to Plaintiff Brown's complaint and

ordered Plaintiff Brown to show cause in writing why his action should

not be dismissed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

2

another pending case before the Honorable Phyllis J. Hamilton of

this Court. See John-Charles v. Abanico, et al., Case no. 07-5786

PJH (PR). He claims that he filed "two (2) separate and completed

in forma pauperis application [sic] for both pending cases." 

However, he alleges that even though he acted "in accordance with

the prison procedure," his IFP application was only submitted in

Case no. 07-5786 PJH (PR). See IFP application filed Nov. 14, 2007

in Case No. 07-5786 PJH (PR). Plaintiff John-Charles has since

filed a complete IFP application in this action.

In view of this, Plaintiff John-Charles's motion to reconsider

is GRANTED. Therefore, the Court's January 11, 2008 Order of

Dismissal Without Prejudice is VACATED as to Plaintiff JohnCharles's complaint. His motion to appeal judgment is DENIED as

unnecessary because there is no final judgment to appeal.

II. Severing Plaintiff John-Charles's Claims, Directing Clerk to

File Claims as New Case and Referring Case for Related Case

Determination

The Court finds that Plaintiffs John-Charles and Brown should

proceed in separate actions.1 Because Plaintiffs John-Charles and

Brown have limited access to one another and cannot represent each

other in these proceedings, basic case management principles of

delay reduction and avoidance of confusion call for their claims to

proceed separately. Accordingly, Plaintiff John-Charles's claims

are severed from Plaintiff Brown's claims. Plaintiff JohnCase 4:07-cv-05770-CW Document 12 Filed 01/31/08 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

P:\PRO-SE\CW\CR.07\Brown-Charles-Hardiman5770.vacCharlesDISIFP.wpd 3

Charles's claims in this action are DISMISSED without prejudice,

and the Clerk of the Court is directed to file his complaint as a

new action.

CONCLUSION

1. Plaintiff John-Charles's motion to reconsider (docket no.

11) is GRANTED. 

2. The Court's January 11, 2008 Order of Dismissal Without

Prejudice is VACATED as to Plaintiff John-Charles's complaint. The

Clerk of the Court shall REOPEN the action filed by Plaintiff JohnCharles.

3. Plaintiff John-Charles's motion to appeal judgment

(docket no. 11) is DENIED as unnecessary.

4. Plaintiff John-Charles's claims are severed from

Plaintiff Brown's claims. The Clerk of the Court is directed to

file Plaintiff John-Charles's complaint as a new action before this

Court and assign it to the undersigned. 

5. Plaintiff John-Charles is GRANTED leave to proceed IFP

(docket no. 10).

6. The Clerk shall file and docket in the new case Plaintiff

John-Charles's complaint and the Order granting him IFP status.

7. This Order terminates Docket nos. 10 and 11.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: 1/31/08 

CLAUDIA WILKEN

United States District Judge

Case 4:07-cv-05770-CW Document 12 Filed 01/31/08 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

P:\PRO-SE\CW\CR.07\Brown-Charles-Hardiman5770.vacCharlesDISIFP.wpd 4

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WILLIAM BROWN et al,

Plaintiff,

 v.

BEN CURRY et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV07-05770 CW 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on January 31, 2008, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing said

envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle

located in the Clerk's office.

Cesari Hardiman H02971

Correctional Training Facility

Hwy 101 P.O. Box 689

Soledad, CA 93960-0689

Curtis M. John-Charles T-56703

CTF-Soledad

P.O. Box 689

Highway 101 North

Soledad, CA 93960-0689

William Odessa Brown K-93463

CAL

P.O. Box 5002

Calipatria, CA 92233-5002

Dated: January 31, 2008

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Sheilah Cahill, Deputy Clerk

Case 4:07-cv-05770-CW Document 12 Filed 01/31/08 Page 4 of 4