Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01923/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01923-19/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

GARY CECIL,

Plaintiff,

v.

JEFF BEARD, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:13-cv-1923 TLN KJN P

ORDER

Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding in forma pauperis and without counsel. Plaintiff 

filed a request for five subpoenas “for witnesses to appear.” (ECF No. 98.) Defendants filed an 

objection, noting that discovery is closed, and that this matter has not yet been set for trial. (ECF 

No. 99.) Plaintiff filed a reply stating that the court’s discovery and scheduling order stated that 

“blank subpoena forms may be obtained from the Clerk of the Court,” and that plaintiff is not 

seeking the subpoena forms for discovery. Plaintiff argues that because he is a handicapped pro 

se litigant, he must prepare his case on “his time schedule,” not defendants’, and that “weak 

attempts to interfere in plaintiff’s preparation of [his] case [are] immediately appealable in any 

Court.” (ECF No. 101.) Plaintiff asks the court to grant his request and impose sanctions on 

defendants.

While the court is sympathetic to plaintiff’s need to prepare his case for trial, plaintiff’s 

request for subpoenas is premature. As set forth in the scheduling order, witness subpoenas are to 

Case 2:13-cv-01923-TLN-KJN Document 104 Filed 01/20/15 Page 1 of 2
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be submitted “not earlier than four weeks and not later than two weeks before trial.” (ECF No. 63 

at 4.) Dispositive motions are due on or before January 23, 2015, and trial has not yet been 

scheduled in this matter. Thus, there are no court hearings presently scheduled for which witness 

testimony is required. Moreover, the subpoena form is a simple, fill-in-the-blank form, which, in 

addition to the basic case information, requires plaintiff to provide the witness’ name and address, 

and the date and location of the trial. 

There is no basis for the issuance of sanctions. Plaintiff’s request for sanctions is denied. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s request for five subpoenas (ECF No. 98) is denied without prejudice; and

2. Plaintiff’s request for sanctions (ECF No. 101) is denied.

Dated: January 20, 2015

/ceci1923.subp

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