Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-00308/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-00308-0/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JON WARREN LARSON, CDCR

#AD-2009

Plaintiff,

15-CV-308 BTM (BGS)

ORDER DENYING

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO

APPOINT COUNSEL

[ECF No. 21. ]

vs.

WARDEN D. PARAMO; CMO

WALKER; DR. J. CHAU; DR.

NEWTON; DR. S. ROBERTS; R.N.

GIL; R.N. T. PAULE; R.N. WINZEL;

DR. KRISTEN DEAN,

Defendants.

On July 2, 2015, Plaintiff Jon Warren Larson, a prisoner proceeding pro se

and In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) in this civil rights action, filed a motion to appoint

counsel. (ECF No. 21.) He requests appointment of counsel because: (1) he cannot

afford to hire a lawyer; (2) the case involves complex legal issues; (3) his access to

the law library is limited; (4) he is not sufficiently trained in legal matters and (5)

lawyers that he has contacted have not responded. Id. at pp. 1-2.

“There is no constitutional right to appointed counsel in a § 1983 action.”

Rand v. Rowland, 113 F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997) (citing Storseth v. Spellman,

654 F.2d 1349, 1353 (9th Cir. 1981)); see also Hedges v. Resolution Trust Corp. (In

re Hedges), 32 F.3d 1360, 1363 (9th Cir. 1994) (“[T]here is no absolute right to

counsel in civil proceedings.”) (citation omitted). Federal courts do not have the

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authority “to make coercive appointments of counsel.” Mallard v. United States

District Court, 490 U.S. 296, 310 (1989); see also United States v. $292,888.04 in

U.S. Currency, 54 F.3d 564, 569 (9th Cir. 1995). 

Districts courts have discretion, however, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1),

to “request” that an attorney represent indigent civil litigants upon a showing of

“exceptional circumstances.” See Agyeman v. Corrections Corp. of America, 390

F.3d 1101, 1103 (9th Cir. 2004); Rand, 113 F.3d at 1525. “A finding of the

exceptional circumstances of the plaintiff seeking assistance requires at least an

evaluation of the likelihood of the plaintiff’s success on the merits and an evaluation

of the plaintiff’s ability to articulate his claims ‘in light of the complexity of the

legal issues involved.’” Agyeman, 390 F.3d at 1103 (quoting Wilborn v. Escalderon,

789 F.2d 1328, 1331 (9th Cir. 1986)); see also Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015,

1017 (9th Cir. 1991).

The Court denies Plaintiff’s request, as neither the interests of justice nor

exceptional circumstances warrant the appointment of counsel at this time. LaMere

v. Risley, 827 F.2d 622, 626 (9th Cir. 1987); Terrell, 935 F.2d at 1017. Plaintiff has

thus far been able to articulate his claims, as the Court found that Plaintiff’s

complaint contains allegations sufficient to survive the sua sponte screening required

by 28 U.S.C. §§1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). (See ECF No. 3 .) Moreover, it does not

appear that the legal issues involved are so complex that counsel is warranted at this

stage of the proceedings. See Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.3d 1328, 1331 (9th Cir.

1986) (noting that, “If all that was required to establish successfully the complexity

of the relevant issues was a demonstration of the need 

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for development of further facts, practically all cases would involve complex legal

issues.”). 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: July 7, 2015

Hon. Bernard G. Skomal

U.S. Magistrate Judge

United States District Court

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