Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-00099/USCOURTS-caed-2_22-cv-00099-9/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

FORREST GRAY,

Plaintiff,

v.

CASSIE,

Defendant.

Case No. 2:22-cv-00099-JDP (PC)

ORDER 

Plaintiff alleges that defendant nurse Cassie sexually assaulted him during a routine 

medical evaluation. Plaintiff has filed two motions seeking the appointment of counsel and one

motion to compel. I will deny plaintiff’s motions but will extend discovery deadlines and grant

plaintiff additional time to serve his discovery request. 

Motion to Compel

Plaintiff seeks to compel defendant to provide responses to twelve requests for production

of documents. ECF No. 43. Defendant argues that these requests were not timely served under 

the requirements set forth in the discovery and scheduling order, plaintiff did not seek leave of 

court to propound discovery beyond the discovery deadline, and plaintiff failed to comply with 

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure by not meeting and conferring regarding these discovery 

requests. ECF No. 44. 

The May 18, 2023 discovery and scheduling order set out the following deadlines. 

Case 2:22-cv-00099-JDP Document 45 Filed 10/10/23 Page 1 of 3
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All requests for discovery were to be served on or before August 4, 2023, and the deadline to 

complete all discovery, including filing motions to compel, was October 6, 2023. Any request for 

an extension of a deadline set forth in the scheduling order was to be filed before the relevant 

deadline and would be granted only upon a showing of good cause. The parties were informed 

that any discovery disputes were to be addressed pursuant to the procedures set forth in the 

scheduling order and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including the requirement that the 

parties meet and confer prior to the filing of any motion to compel. 

Plaintiff filed this motion to compel on August 14, 2023, and signed it August 9, 2023. 

ECF No. 43. While the pleading is styled as a motion to compel, it appears to be a request for 

discovery. Indeed, defendant notes that he did not receive this discovery request from plaintiff 

until he received this motion. ECF No. 44 at 2. 

Plaintiff’s motion is timely, having been filed before the October 6, 2023 deadline for 

discovery completion, but plaintiff did not serve his discovery requests on defendant before the 

August 4, 2023 deadline. In light of plaintiff’s pro se status and the timing of his filing, I will 

allow plaintiff additional time to serve discovery on defendant. Plaintiff is warned that filing 

discovery requests with the court is improper; he must serve discovery requests on defendant. I 

will also sua sponte extend the discovery deadlines.

Motion for the Appointment of Counsel 

Plaintiff does not have a constitutional right to appointed counsel in this action, see Rand 

v. Rowland, 113 F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997), and the court lacks the authority to require an 

attorney to represent plaintiff. See Mallard v. U.S. Dist. Ct. for the S. Dist. of Iowa, 490 U.S. 296, 

298 (1989). The court can request the voluntary assistance of counsel. See 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(e)(1) (“The court may request an attorney to represent any person unable to afford 

counsel”); Rand, 113 F.3d at 1525. But without a means to compensate counsel, the court will 

seek volunteer counsel only in exceptional circumstances. In determining whether such 

circumstances exist, “the district court must evaluate both the likelihood of success on the merits 

[and] the ability of the [plaintiff] to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the 

legal issues involved.” Rand, 113 F.3d at 1525 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).

Case 2:22-cv-00099-JDP Document 45 Filed 10/10/23 Page 2 of 3
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Plaintiff moves for the appointment of counsel because he argues that the issues in this 

case are complex and being incarcerated will limit his ability to effectively litigate this case. ECF 

Nos. 41 & 42. The allegations in the complaint are not exceptionally complicated, and plaintiff 

has not demonstrated that he is likely to succeed on the merits. Indeed, the challenges plaintiff 

identified are unfortunately common to many prisoners. Plaintiff has not demonstrated 

exceptional circumstances warranting the appointment of counsel at this time. 

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motion to compel, ECF No. 43, is denied without prejudice. 

2. Plaintiff’s motions for the appointment of counsel, ECF Nos. 41 & 42, are denied. 

3. The deadline for the completion of all discovery, including filing all motions to compel

discovery, is December 15, 2023. 

4. All requests for discovery pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 31, 33, 34, or 36 shall be served 

no later than November 10, 2023. 

5. If plaintiff seeks leave to amend the complaint, he must file any motion to amend no 

later than December 15, 2023, 2023. 

6. Dispositive motions shall be filed on or before March 8, 2024. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 6, 2023 

JEREMY D. PETERSON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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