Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00441/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-00441-55/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 

VERNON WAYNE McNEAL, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

EVERT, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:05-cv-441-GEB-EFB P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel in an action brought under 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. He requests waiver of trial witness fees and an order directing defendants to name 

the proper party to be substituted for deceased defendant Chatham. ECF Nos. 235, 236. 

 Plaintiff’s request for a waiver of witness fees is entitled “motion to proceed in forma 

pauperis,” suggesting that in forma pauperis status would somehow entitle him to a waiver of the 

fees. ECF No. 235. Plaintiff was granted in forma pauperis status on April 28, 2005, which he 

retains today. ECF No. 6. Thus, the new request is duplicative. However, plaintiff’s in forma 

pauperis status does not provide the court with authority to waive witness fees and travel 

expenses. Tedder v. Odel, 890 F.2d 210, 211 (9th Cir. 1989). In extraordinary circumstances, it 

may be possible for the court to order payment of witness fees out of its non-appropriated fund. 

See Giraldes v. Prebula, No. S-01-2110 LKK/EFB, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54620, at *3-5 (E.D. 

Cal. Apr. 18, 2012) (citing United States Administrative Office Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 

Case 2:05-cv-00441-TLN-EFB Document 242 Filed 01/12/16 Page 1 of 2
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13, § 1220); Whitfield v. Hernandez, No. 1:13-cv-0724-JLT, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 154013, at 

*3-4 (Nov. 12, 2015). Plaintiff has not presented extraordinary circumstances here. He has 

provided no explanation of why each unincarcerated witness is necessary. Many of plaintiff’s 

proposed witnesses also appear on defendants’ witness list and plaintiff will be permitted to 

question any witness defendants present. ECF No. 180 at 12-15. The court’s non-appropriated 

fund is simply too meager to cover the witness expenses for every indigent litigant in the district. 

Accordingly, plaintiff’s request for a waiver of witness fees is denied. 

 Plaintiff next seeks an order compelling defendants to provide him with a proper party to 

be substituted in place of defendant Chatham. ECF No. 236. On April 30, 2015, the court 

deemed plaintiff’s motion for substitution amended to name Roy Chatham as the proper party to 

be substituted for deceased defendant Chatham. ECF No. 201. The court ordered defense 

counsel to serve a copy of the motion on Roy Chatham and provided Mr. Chatham with an 

opportunity to oppose the motion. Id. Mr. Chatham submitted no opposition, and defendants 

submitted a statement of non-opposition to the substitution. ECF No. 204. Accordingly, the 

instant motion is construed as a renewed motion to substitute Roy Chatham in place of deceased 

defendant Chatham and, so construed, it is granted. 

 In sum, it is hereby ORDERED that: 

1. Plaintiff’s motion for a waiver of witness fees (ECF No. 235) is denied.

2. Plaintiff’s motion for substitution (ECF No. 236) is granted.

3. Roy Chatham is substituted for deceased defendant Chatham.

4. Defense counsel shall serve a copy of this order on Roy Chatham within 7 days of the 

date of this order.

Dated: January 12, 2016. 

 

Case 2:05-cv-00441-TLN-EFB Document 242 Filed 01/12/16 Page 2 of 2