Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_10-cv-02747/USCOURTS-azd-2_10-cv-02747-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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Upon screening, the Court dismissed Ryan, Adu-Tutu, Phen, Chitwood,

Thunderwood, Kenter, and John Doe Food Service Canteen Manager as Defendants (Doc.

35).

WO JDN

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Mark Steven Parker,

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Adu-Tutu, et al., 

Defendants.

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No. CV 10-2747-PHX-GMS (ECV)

ORDER

This matter comes before the Court pursuant to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s

transfer of an appeal filed by Plaintiff Mark Steven Parker (Doc. 94).

Plaintiff brought this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Dr. Rowe, an

Arizona Department of Corrections Facility Health Administrator (Doc. 26).1

 Plaintiff

suffers from chronic gout, and he alleged that Defendant was deliberately indifferent to this

serious medical need when he repeatedly denied other physician’s requests to provide

Plaintiff a medically prescribed vegetarian diet for his gout (id. at 7, 9-11, 20). 

On September 10, 2011, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Access to a Wordprocessor, in

which he asked the Court to order prison officials to provide him 10 hours of access to a

wordprocessor each week to prepare legal documents (Doc. 37). On November 15, 2011,

Case 2:10-cv-02747-GMS Document 119 Filed 06/28/12 Page 1 of 5
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the Magistrate Judge denied Plaintiff’s motion on the ground that he did not present evidence

to show that he was unable to access the court without a wordprocessor (Doc. 45). Plaintiff’s

Motion for Reconsideration of that Order (Doc. 51) was denied by the Magistrate Judge on

January 3, 2012 (Doc. 64). 

On February 8, 2012, Plaintiff filed an appeal of the Order denying reconsideration

to the District Judge (Doc. 70). On February 16, 2012, the District Judge affirmed the

Magistrate Judge’s denial (Doc. 80). 

Meanwhile, on February 10, 2012, Plaintiff filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit that

also challenged the Magistrate Judge’s Order denying reconsideration (Doc. 74). 

On March 15, 2012, the Ninth Circuit issued its Order stating that it did not have

jurisdiction over the appeal because a magistrate judge order is not final or appealable (Doc.

94). The Ninth Circuit further stated that the Magistrate Judge did not have authority to deny

a request for injunctive relief; therefore, it transferred the appeal to the district court (id. at

1-2).

Pursuant to the Ninth Circuit’s Order and transfer, the district court now addresses

Plaintiff’s appeal and request for access to a wordprocessor.

I. Jurisdiction

Unless both parties consent to the magistrate’s exercise of plenary authority, the

magistrate judge is limited to hearing and determining pretrial matters “except a motion for

injunctive relief . . . .” 28 U.S.C. 636(b)(1) & (c); Reynaga v. Cammisa, 971 F.2d 414, 416

(9th Cir. 1992). Accordingly, the Magistrate Judge did not have authority to rule on

Plaintiff’s September 2011 Motion for Access to a Word Processor, and it should have been

addressed by the District Judge. 

The Court will therefore vacate the Magistrate Judge’s Order denying Plaintiff’s

Motion for Access to a Wordprocessor (Doc. 45) and the February 16, 2012 Order that

affirmed the Magistrate Judge’s denial of Plaintiff’s Motion for Reconsideration (Doc. 80).

The Court herein conducts a de novo review of Plaintiff’s request for injunctive relief.

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II. Preliminary Injunction 

A. Legal Standard

A preliminary injunction is an “extraordinary remedy” that may be granted only where

the movant shows that “he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely to suffer

irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in his

favor, and that an injunction is in the public interest.” Winter v. Natural Res. Def. Council,

Inc., 555 U.S. 7, 20 (2008); Am. Trucking Ass’n, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 559 F.3d 1046,

1052 (9th Cir. 2009). The movant has the burden of proof on each element of the test. Envtl.

Council of Sacramento v. Slater, 184 F. Supp. 2d 1016, 1027 (E.D. Cal. 2000).

Under the “serious questions” version of the sliding-scale test, a preliminary

injunction is appropriate when a plaintiff demonstrates that “serious questions going to the

merits were raised and the balance of hardships tips sharply in [plaintiff’s] favor.” Alliance

for the Wild Rockies v. Cottrell, 632 F.3d 1127, 1134-35 (9th Cir. 2011) (citing Lands

Council v. McNair, 537 F.3d 981, 987 (9th Cir. 2008) (en banc)). This approach requires

that the elements of the preliminary injunction test be balanced, so that a stronger showing

of one element may offset a weaker showing of another. See Alliance for the Wild Rockies,

632 at 1135.

Regardless of which test is applied, there is a heightened burden where a plaintiff

seeks a mandatory preliminary injunction, which should not be granted “unless the facts and

law clearly favor the plaintiff.” Comm. of Cent. Am. Refugees v. I.N.S., 795 F.2d 1434,

1441 (9th Cir. 1986) (citation omitted).

The Prison Litigation Reform Act imposes additional requirements on prisoner

litigants who seek preliminary injunctive relief against prison officials and requires that any

injunctive relief be narrowly drawn and the least intrusive means necessary to correct the

harm. 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(2).

B. Plaintiff’s Motion for Access to a Wordprocessor

In his motion, Plaintiff states that he is 51-years old and suffers from gout and

rheumatoid arthritis and that it is “draconian” to force him to hand write all his documents

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“like a medieval monk” (Doc. 37 at 1-2). Plaintiff argues that the Court is more likely to be

receptive to a typed document rather than a hand-written one, and he maintains that his right

to petition the government is likely to be hindered if he is denied 10 hours of access to a

wordprocessor each week (id. at 2-3).

Defendant did not file a response.

C. Analysis

The Court may not issue an injunction unless Plaintiff satisfies the four elements set

forth in Winter. See 555 U.S. at 20. As set forth below, Plaintiff does not satisfy his burden

under Winter; therefore, a response from Defendant is unnecessary.

Initially, the Court notes that although Plaintiff’s underlying complaint relates solely

to medical care, because his request for injunctive relief concerns his access to the court, his

motion may be considered. See Diamontiney v. Borg, 918 F.2d 793, 796 (9th Cir. 1990)

(where the preliminary injunction concerns the movant’s access to the court, the merits of the

underlying suit need not be considered).

Prisoners have a constitutional right of access to the courts. Bounds v. Smith, 430

U.S. 817, 821 (1977). But the right of access to the courts is only a right to bring petitions

or complaints to the federal court and not a right to discover such claims or even to litigate

them effectively once filed with a court. See Lewis v. Casey, 518 U.S. 343, 354 (1996); see

also Cornett v. Donovan, 51 F.3d 894, 898 (9th Cir. 1995). To maintain an access-to-thecourts claim, an inmate must submit evidence showing an “actual injury” resulting from the

defendant’s actions. See Lewis, 518 U.S. at 349. With respect to an existing case, the actual

injury must be “actual prejudice . . . such as the inability to meet a filing deadline or to

present a claim.” Id. at 348-49. 

Here, Plaintiff submits no allegations or evidence showing actual injury. See id. at

349. He does not allege that he has no legal access or that he has been unable or will be

unable to file documents. Indeed, the docket reflects that since he filed his Motion for

Access to a Wordprocessor, Plaintiff has submitted over 20 filings to the Court, including

other preliminary injunction motions (Docs. 69, 71), motions for appointment of counsel and

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discovery motions (Docs. 55, 97, 117), change-of-address notices (Docs. 53-54, 61, 101,

108), motions for reconsideration and for an extension (Docs. 51-52, 92), declarations (Docs.

47, 114), and discovery documents (Docs. 82-83, 88-89, 91, 115).

Plaintiff generally asserts that he suffers pain as a result of his chronic gout and

rheumatoid arthritis; however, he does not explain how typing will not aggravate his

conditions. Further, his motion does not address the other prerequisites for injunctive

relief—whether there is a likelihood of success on the merits, whether the balance of equities

tips in his favor, or whether an injunction is in the public interest. See Winter, 555 U.S. at

20. Consequently, Plaintiff fails to meet his burden for an injunction, much less the

heightened burden required for the mandatory relief that he seeks. Plaintiff’s Motion for

Access to a Wordprocessor will therefore be denied.

IT IS ORDERED:

(1) The Magistrate Judge’s November 15, 2011 Order (Doc. 45) and the Court’s

February 16, 2012 Order (Doc. 80) are vacated.

(2) Plaintiff’s Motion for Access to a Wordprocessor (Doc. 37) is denied.

DATED this 28th day of June, 2012.

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