Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_12-cv-00496/USCOURTS-caed-1_12-cv-00496-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BILLY RAY MALDONADO, 

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

JAMES YATES, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:12-cv-00496-AWI-GSA (PC)

ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR 

RETURN OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

(Doc. 8.)

I. BACKGROUND

On April 2, 2012, Donald Wright (“Plaintiff”), a state prisoner proceeding pro per and 

in forma pauperis, filed the Complaint commencing this civil rights action pursuant to 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. 1.) 

On February 9, 2015, Plaintiff filed a request for the court to return the original 

Complaint to him. (Doc. 8.) 

II. CUSTODY OF DOCUMENTS; REQUEST FOR COPIES

Plaintiff explains that he thought he was supposed to submit his medical documents 

with the Complaint, but later discovered this was not true. Now Plaintiff requests the Clerk to 

return his original Complaint to him.

The Eastern District of California is an electronic case management/filing district 

(CM/ECF). L.R. 133. After a pro se party files a paper document, the Clerk transforms the 

Case 1:12-cv-00496-AWI-EPG Document 9 Filed 02/12/15 Page 1 of 3
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

paper filing into an electronic record and ultimately discards the paper filing. Id. Local Rules 

require that all paper files and records of the court remain in the custody of the Clerk. L.R. 

138. No one is permitted to take records, papers, or items belonging to the files of the court 

from the custody of the Clerk without a special order of the court and a receipt given by the 

party obtaining it, describing it and the date of its receipt. Id. 

Plaintiff was cautioned in the court’s First Informational Order not to send original 

exhibits to the court, and advised that he should retain his original exhibits and send 

photocopies to the court. (Doc. 3 at 4 ¶7.) Plaintiff was also advised about the procedure for 

obtaining copies of court documents. (Id. at 2 ¶3.)

Even if the Clerk has not already discarded the paper filing, Plaintiff has not shown 

good cause for the court to issue a special order requiring the Clerk to relinquish custody of 

Plaintiff’s original Complaint. Copies of the electronic record are available to Plaintiff; 

however, the Clerk does not ordinarily provide free copies of case documents to parties. The 

Clerk charges $.50 per page for copies of documents. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). Copies of up 

to 20 pages may be made by the Clerk's Office at this court upon written request and 

prepayment of the copy fees. Plaintiff must submit a request in writing to the Clerk, a 

sufficiently-large, self-addressed envelope affixed with sufficient postage, and prepayment of 

copy costs to the Clerk. The fact that the court has granted leave for Plaintiff to proceed in 

forma pauperis does not entitle him to free copies of documents from the court.1

For copy orders larger than 20 pages, copies of documents may be obtained from the 

court file by contacting Attorney's Diversified Services at 741 N. Fulton Street, Fresno, 

California 93728, 1-800−842−2695. Plaintiff’s Complaint, with its exhibits, is 145 pages long. 

Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff’s request shall be denied. Plaintiff is advised that in 

the future, he should retain his original exhibits and submit photocopies, and also should retain 

a copy of any document he submits to the court.

 

1

In the future, if Plaintiff wants a file-stamped copy of a document returned for his own benefit, 

he must submit the document for filing, a copy of the document, and a sufficiently large pre-addressed envelope

with sufficient postage affixed.

Case 1:12-cv-00496-AWI-EPG Document 9 Filed 02/12/15 Page 2 of 3
3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

III. CONCLUSION 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff's request for return of his 

original Complaint is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 12, 2015 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:12-cv-00496-AWI-EPG Document 9 Filed 02/12/15 Page 3 of 3