Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-01699/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-01699-10/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 445
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Employment
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SYDNEY BROOKE ROBERTS, et al., 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

SACRAMENTO HOUSING AND 

REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:22-cv-01699 DJC AC 

ORDER 

 The court is in receipt of plaintiff’s motion to appoint counsel. ECF No. 53. In civil 

cases, a pro se litigant’s right to counsel “is a privilege and not a right.” United States ex Rel. 

Gardner v. Madden, 352 F.2d 792, 793 (9th Cir. 1965) (citation omitted). “Appointment of 

counsel should be allowed only in exceptional cases.” Id. When determining whether 

“exceptional circumstances” exist, the court must consider the likelihood of success on the merits 

as well as the ability of the plaintiff to articulate her claims pro se in light of the complexity of the 

legal issues involved. Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2009). 

Having considered the relevant factors, the court finds there are no exceptional 

circumstances in this case, and that appointment of counsel is not warranted. Plaintiffs’ case is 

not overly complex, and they have shown themselves capable of making filings with the court. 

Plaintiffs assert that at a past hearing, plaintiffs requested real-time transcription as a disability 

Case 2:22-cv-01699-DJC-AC Document 55 Filed 04/15/24 Page 1 of 2
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accommodation, and the court provided real-time voice to text transcription, which was not 

adequate because it contained errors. ECF No. 53 at 3. Should plaintiffs require disability 

accommodations at any upcoming hearings, they are instructed to contact the undersigned’s 

Courtroom Deputy, Jonathan Anderson, by phone (916) 930-4199 or by email at 

janderson@caed.uscourts.gov. The need for disability accommodations, however, does not 

require appointment of counsel. 

Appointment of counsel is not appropriate in this case. Accordingly, the motion to 

appoint counsel (ECF No. 53) is DENIED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: April 15, 2024 

Case 2:22-cv-01699-DJC-AC Document 55 Filed 04/15/24 Page 2 of 2