Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-00842/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-00842-4/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

KAREEM J. HOWELL,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. MOKTAR, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:22-cv-00842 DB P

ORDER

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis with this civil rights

action seeking relief pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleges that defendants used

excessive force against him and retaliated against him in violation of the First and Eighth

Amendments. Presently before the court is plaintiff’s requests that the court direct the California 

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (“CDCR”) and the California Attorney General’s

Office to help serve defendant Mokhtar.

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 (ECF Nos. 33, 34.) For the reasons stated below, the

court will grant in part and deny in part the first request (ECF No. 33) and will strike the second

request (ECF No. 34).

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1 This defendant’s last name appears as “Moktar” on the docket, while the California Attorney 

General’s Office has spelled it “Mokhtar.” (See ECF No. 22.) Plaintiff uses various spellings of 

the name in his filings. (See ECF No. 33.) The court will use the spelling provided by the 

California Attorney General’s Office.

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I. Background

On June 11, 2023, the court issued an order directing service on defendants Mokhtar,

Troja, Johnson, Childs, and Williamson. (ECF No. 15.) Because plaintiff identified these

defendants as CDCR employees at the time of the alleged violations, their information was

provided electronically to CDCR and the California Attorney General’s Office to effectuate

service, pursuant to the court’s E-Service pilot program for civil rights cases. (Id. at 2.) The

summons was returned unexecuted as to defendant Mokhtar because he no longer works for

CDCR. (ECF No. 24.) 

On August 7, 2023, the court directed plaintiff to submit service documents to the U.S.

Marshal’s Service providing additional information to serve defendant Mokhtar. (ECF No. 25.) 

The court’s order stated: “Plaintiff shall promptly seek such information through discovery, the

California Public Records Act, Calif. Gov’t. Code § 6250, et seq., or other means available to

plaintiff. If access to the required information is denied or unreasonably delayed, plaintiff may

seek judicial intervention.” (Id. at 1.) 

The court received the required documents from plaintiff on September 26, 2023. (ECF

No. 32.) The U.S. Marshal’s Service attempted service on the address provided by plaintiff but

was informed that defendant Mokhtar did not live at the address. (ECF No. 35.) The summons

was returned unexecuted on September 27, 2023. (Id.)

II. Plaintiff’s requests

Plaintiff included with the required documents a filing entitled “Additional Information

To Have This Defendant Served.” (ECF No. 33.) In it, plaintiff explains that he had previously

sued defendant Mokhtar in a separate action before this court, Howell v. Johnson, 2:20-cv-0520

(E.D. Cal.), and that defendant Mokhtar had been represented by the California Attorney

General’s Office in that action. (Id. at 1–2.) Plaintiff asks “that this court order

CDCR/defendants herein counsel to either continue representing defendant J. Mokhtor as well,

and see to it that service is complete” or to “assist the plaintiff herein, and this court in locating

defendant J. Mokhtor by providing defendant J. Mokhtor last known address given to CDCR.” 

(Id. at 2.)

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On October 13, 2023, the court received a document from plaintiff entitled “Plaintiff

Request to the Court, Ordering (CDCR) To Forward To the Court Defendant J. Mokhtar Last

Known Address.” (ECF No. 34.) Plaintiff did not sign or date the filing.

III. Analysis

The court will grant in part and deny in part plaintiff’s first request. (ECF No. 33.) 

“‘[A]n incarcerated pro se plaintiff proceeding in forma pauperis is entitled to rely on the U.S. 

Marshal for service of the summons and complaint . . .’”. Jensen v. Knowles, 621 F. Supp. 2d 

921, 930 (E.D. Cal. 2008) (quoting Puett v. Blandford, 912 F.2d 270, 275 (9th Cir. 1990)) 

(alteration in original); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(3). The plaintiff must “act with diligence and 

provide the Marshal with sufficient information to serve the defendant.” Id. In this case, plaintiff

has identified defendant Mokhtar’s last known attorney and CDCR as potential sources for this 

information, based on a previous lawsuit plaintiff brought against defendant Mokhtar that was 

dismissed in July 2022. (ECF No. 53, Howell v. Johnson, 2:22-cv-0520 (E.D. Cal.).) The 

California Attorney General’s Office represented defendant Mokhtar in that action and represents

defendants Childs, Johnson, Williamson, and Troja in the instant action. (See ECF No. 33 at 3, 

5–9; ECF No. 26.) 

Accordingly, the court will order counsel for defendants Childs, Johnson, Williamson, and 

Troja to obtain defendant Mokhtar’s last known address from CDCR and provide the address to 

the court.

The court will order plaintiff’s second request (ECF No. 34) to be stricken because 

plaintiff did not sign it. The court cannot consider unsigned filings. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11; E.D. Cal. 

R. 131. 

CONCLUSION

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s notice of additional information to serve defendant J. Mokhtar and motion 

for the court (ECF No. 33) is granted in part and denied in part.

2. Within thirty days of the date of this order, counsel of record for defendants Childs, 

Johnson, Williamson, and Troja shall:

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a. Obtain from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 

the last known address it has on file for defendant J. Mokhtar, and

b. Produce the address to the court by emailing it to: 

dborders@caed.uscourts.gov.

3. Plaintiff’s request for a court order for CDCR to forward defendant’s last known 

address (ECF No. 34) is stricken because it is unsigned.

Dated: November 14, 2023

DB: 15

DB/DB Prisoner Inbox/Civil Rights/R/howe0842.8e(2)

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