Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-00772/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-00772-8/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 

ASHLEY LUTHER MURRAY PRICE, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

BARNES, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:17-cv-772-MCE-EFB P 

ORDER 

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

U.S.C. § 1983. He has once again requested that the court appoint counsel. As plaintiff was 

previously informed (see ECF Nos. 13, 36), district courts lack authority to require counsel to 

represent indigent prisoners in section 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 

296, 298 (1989). In exceptional circumstances, the court may request an attorney to voluntarily 

to represent such a plaintiff. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1); Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 

(9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). 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 his 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 again considered those factors, the court finds there are still no exceptional circumstances 

in this case. 

Case 2:17-cv-00772-MCE-EFB Document 41 Filed 05/18/20 Page 1 of 2
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 Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s request for appointment of 

counsel (ECF No. 39) is denied. 

DATED: May 18, 2020. 

Case 2:17-cv-00772-MCE-EFB Document 41 Filed 05/18/20 Page 2 of 2