Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00960/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00960-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ARNOLD J. FLEMING, )

 )

Plaintiff, )

)

)

v. )

)

ROSANNE FAUL, et al., ) 

 )

Defendants. )

)

 )

NEW CASE NUMBER: 

1: 05-CV-00960-AWI-SMS 

FORMER CASE NUMBER:

1: 05-CV-00960-AWI-SMS P

ORDER DIRECTING THE CLERK TO

REDESIGNATE THIS ACTION AS A

REGULAR CIVIL CASE BY REMOVING

THE “P” FROM THE CASE NUMBER

ORDER DIRECTING THE PARTIES TO

USE THE REGULAR CIVIL CASE NUMBER

ORDER DISMISSING THE COMPLAINT

WITH LEAVE TO AMEND, AND

REQUIRING PLAINTIFF TO PAY THE

FILING FEE IN FULL OR FILE AN

APPLICATION TO PROCEED IN FORMA

PAUPERIS

ORDER DIRECTING THE CLERK TO SEND

TO PLAINTIFF A BLANK IN FORMA

PAUPERIS FORM FOR A PERSON IN

CUSTODY, A BLANK CIVIL RIGHTS

COMPLAINT FORM, AND A BLANK

HABEAS CORPUS FORM 

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with what

appears to be an action for damages and other relief concerning

alleged civil rights violations. The matter has been referred to

the Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) and Local

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Rules 72-302 and 72-304.

I. Redesignating Action and Use of Correct Case Number

The Clerk of the Court incorrectly designated the action as

one involving a prisoner litigating the conditions of his

confinement at a California state prison and assigned a “P” to

the case number. Upon further review by the Court, it has been

determined that the present action does not involve state prison

conditions of confinement. Therefore, the Clerk of the Court IS

DIRECTED to change the designation of the present case to reflect

that of a regular civil action by removing the “P” from the case

number.

Further, the parties ARE DIRECTED to use the redesignated

case number, from which the “P” suffix has been removed, in the

pleadings and documents filed in this action.

II. Screening the Complaint and Payment of the Filing Fee

 or Submitting an Application to Proceed in Forma

 Pauperis

In the complaint filed on July 27, 2005, Plaintiff alleged

that Defendant Rosanne Faul, an attorney in the Merced County

Public Defender’s Office, rendered ineffective assistance of

counsel in 2004 in violation of Plaintiff’s Sixth and Fourteenth

Amendment rights while representing Plaintiff in connection with

a probation violation that resulted in Plaintiff’s being

sentenced to six years in prison. Plaintiff alleges that

Defendant failed to object, negotiate, submit evidence, and

investigate. He further alleges that on February 27, 2004,

Defendant Faul conspired with Probation Officer Michael Parker to

railroad Plaintiff into prison. Plaintiff alleges that just

before the hearing on the probation violation, Parker told

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Defendant Faul that he did not care what was done about

Plaintiff’s restitution obligation, but that she should leave the

rest alone; Plaintiff was going to prison no matter what the

outcome. Defendant Faul allegedly responded by stating not to

worry. During the hearing, Defendant Faul argued about the

restitution, and the restitution was dropped, but Defendant did

nothing else for Plaintiff. On May 13, 2004, Plaintiff was

sentenced to prison. Plaintiff seeks damages.

Plaintiff filed this complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Plaintiff neither paid the filing fee nor filed a completed

application to proceed in forma pauperis. Further, Plaintiff, who

is incarcerated, is suing his attorney for ineffective assistance

of counsel.

When a prisoner challenges the legality or duration of his

custody, or raises a constitutional challenge which could entitle

him to an earlier release, his sole federal remedy is a writ of

habeas corpus. Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475 (1973); Young

v. Kenny, 907 F.2d 874 (9th Cir. 1990), cert. denied 11 S.Ct.

1090 (1991). Moreover, when seeking damages for an allegedly

unconstitutional conviction or imprisonment, “a § 1983 plaintiff

must prove that the conviction or sentence has been reversed on

direct appeal, expunged by executive order, declared invalid by a

state tribunal authorized to make such determination, or called

into question by a federal court’s issuance of a writ of habeas

corpus, 28 U.S.C. § 2254.” Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477, 487-88

(1994). “A claim for damages bearing that relationship to a

conviction or sentence that has not been so invalidated is not

cognizable under § 1983.” Id. at 488. In this instance, Plaintiff

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has not alleged any facts that suggest his conviction has been

invalidated. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s claim for damages against

his public defender under section 1983 is barred. Trimble v. City

of Santa Rosa, 49 F.3d 583, 585 (9th Cir. 1995). 

The Court will, by this order, dismiss Plaintiff’s

complaint, with leave to amend. If Plaintiff wishes to pursue

claims for relief under section 1983 based on conditions of

confinement that violate his constitutional rights, Plaintiff may

file an amended complaint. If Plaintiff wishes to challenge the

fact or duration of his confinement, he may not do so in this

action and must file a petition for writ of habeas corpus. If

Plaintiff decides he does not want to pursue this action,

Plaintiff may file a notice of voluntary dismissal seeking the

Court to dismiss this action.

Finally, Plaintiff has not paid the filing fee or filed an

application to proceed in forma pauperis. The filing fee for this

action is $250.00, and the filing fee for a habeas petition is

$5.00. If Plaintiff wishes to file an amended complaint and

proceed with this action, he must either pay the $250.00 filing

fee in full or file an application to proceed in forma pauperis,

which, if granted, will result in the cost of the filing fee

being deducted in increments from his trust account at

Plaintiff’s institution of confinement.

Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The Clerk’s Office shall send plaintiff an application

to proceed in forma pauperis, a civil rights complaint

form, and a petition for writ of habeas corpus;

2. Plaintiff’s complaint is dismissed, with leave to

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amend; 

3. If Plaintiff wishes to pursue this civil rights action,

Plaintiff must file an amended complaint and either pay

the filing fee in full or file an application to

proceed in forma pauperis within thirty (30) days; 

4. If Plaintiff does not wish to pursue this action,

Plaintiff may file a notice of voluntary dismissal

within thirty (30) days from the date of service of

this order; and

5. If Plaintiff neither files a notice of voluntary

dismissal nor files an amended complaint and pays the

filing fee or files an application to proceed in forma

pauperis, this action will be dismissed for failure to

obey a court order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 24, 2005 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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