Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00793/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00793-3/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 

JUSTIN HATCHER, A.K.A. LEXI 

HATCHER, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

G. JUNES, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:19-cv-0793 AC P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se with a civil rights action, has requested 

appointment of counsel. ECF No. 23. In support of the motion, plaintiff states in part that she is 

unable to afford counsel, that the issues in this case are complex and will require significant 

research and investigation, that she has limited access to the law library, and that she has no 

significant knowledge of the law. See id. at 1-2. 

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that district courts lack authority to require 

counsel to represent indigent prisoners in § 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 

U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain exceptional circumstances, the district court may request the 

voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 

1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). 

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Case 2:19-cv-00793-WBS-AC Document 24 Filed 06/04/21 Page 1 of 2
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The test for exceptional circumstances requires the court to evaluate the plaintiff’s 

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. See Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.2d 1328, 

1331 (9th Cir. 1986); Weygandt v. Look, 718 F.2d 952, 954 (9th Cir. 1983). Circumstances 

common to most prisoners, such as lack of legal education and limited law library access, do not 

establish exceptional circumstances that would warrant a request for voluntary assistance of 

counsel. For these reasons, the court does not find the required exceptional circumstances at this 

time. 

 Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion for the appointment of 

counsel (ECF No. 23) is DENIED. 

DATED: June 4, 2021 

Case 2:19-cv-00793-WBS-AC Document 24 Filed 06/04/21 Page 2 of 2