Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-01874/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-01874-0/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 

MICHAEL A. CRAIG, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

GENA JONES, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:22-cv-1874 AC P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff has requested the appointment of counsel. ECF No. 5. In support of the motion, 

plaintiff states in part that he is indigent; that efforts he made to secure counsel for himself have 

been unsuccessful, and that he has limited knowledge of the law. Id. at 1-4. 

 The United States Supreme Court has ruled that district courts lack authority to require 

counsel to represent indigent prisoners in § 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 

U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain exceptional circumstances, the court may request the voluntary 

assistance of counsel pursuant to 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). Given the facts 

above, the court does not find the required exceptional circumstances. Plaintiff’s request for the 

appointment of counsel will therefore be denied. 

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Case 2:22-cv-01874-DAD-AC Document 8 Filed 05/16/23 Page 1 of 2
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 Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s request for the appointment of 

counsel (ECF No. 5) is DENIED. 

DATED: May 16, 2023 

Case 2:22-cv-01874-DAD-AC Document 8 Filed 05/16/23 Page 2 of 2