Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-01120/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-01120-3/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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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEPHEN DWAYNE LESTER,

Plaintiff,

v.

SCOTT NEU, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 13-cv-01120-JD 

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO 

DISMISS

Re: Dkt. No. 28

Plaintiff, a former prisoner proceeding pro se, has brought a civil rights action under 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. This action proceeds on the second amended complaint (Docket No. 24) alleging 

that defendants Neu and Tilton used excessive force against plaintiff on June 4, 2010. Defendants 

have filed a motion to dismiss asserting that the complaint is untimely. Plaintiff has filed an 

opposition, and defendants have filed a reply. 

Plaintiff previously proceeded in another case with the same allegations, but only against 

defendant Neu. See Lester v. Nue, 10-cv-5365-WHA. Case 10-cv-5365-WHA was dismissed 

without prejudice on January 4, 2013, due to plaintiff’s repeated failure to follow Court orders and 

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with respect to a deposition. The case was dismissed without 

prejudice to plaintiff’s refilling his claims in a new action. See Docket No. 73 in 10-cv-5365-

WHA. Plaintiff filed this new action on March 12, 2013.

While this action would be untimely based on the applicable statute of limitations, the 

previous action was timely and both actions contain the same underlying claim. Because plaintiff 

relied on and followed the Court’s instructions in filing a new case, the Court finds this action to 

be timely. However, should plaintiff continue his pattern of obstructing defendants’ attempts to 

Case 3:13-cv-01120-JD Document 32 Filed 03/26/15 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

depose him, this case will be dismissed with prejudice.1

CONCLUSION

1. The motion to dismiss (Docket No. 28) is DENIED.

2. Within 60 days of the date this Order is filed, defendants shall either file a motion 

for summary judgment or a notice that the case cannot be resolved by such a motion. All other 

provisions of the Court’s June 25, 2014, Order (Docket No. 27), that are not in conflict with this 

Order, remain in effect including the provisions governing a motion for summary judgment, 

discovery, and the keeping the Court updated on any changes in the parties’ addresses.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 26, 2015

______________________________________

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

 

1 Defendants many attempts to depose plaintiff were discussed in detail in Docket No. 73 in 10-cv5365-WHA.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEPHEN DWAYNE LESTER,

Plaintiff,

v.

SCOTT NEU, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 13-cv-01120-JD 

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 3/26/2015, 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.

Stephen Dwayne Lester ID: 4907982

P.O. Box 883922

San Francisco, CA 94188 

Dated: 3/26/2015

Richard W. Wieking

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

LISA R. CLARK, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JAMES DONATO

Case 3:13-cv-01120-JD Document 32 Filed 03/26/15 Page 3 of 3