Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01321/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01321-0/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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The consent/election form may be obtained directly from the Clerk of the Court or

by accessing the District of Arizona’s web site at www.azd.uscourts.gov. To find the

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Ronald Tilley,

Plaintiff, 

vs.

City of Phoenix; Police Standards Bureau;

Cynthia P. Gonzalez; Glen Caroner &

Unknown Parties

Defendants.

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No. CV-11-1321-PHX-LOA

NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT

AND ORDER

Pursuant to Local Rule (“LRCiv”) 3.8(a), Rules of Practice, effective 

December 1, 2010, all civil cases are, and will be, randomly assigned to a United States

district judge or to a United States magistrate judge. This matter has been assigned to the

undersigned United States Magistrate Judge.

As a result of the aforementioned Local Rule and assignment, if all parties

consent in writing, the case will remain with the assigned Magistrate Judge pursuant to Title

28 U.S.C. 636(c)(1) for all purposes, including trial and final entry of judgment. If any party

chooses the district judge option, the case will be randomly reassigned to a U.S. district

judge. To either consent to the assigned Magistrate Judge or to elect to have the case heard

before a district judge, the appropriate section of the form, entitled Consent To Exercise Of

Jurisdiction By United States Magistrate Judge1

, must be completed, signed and filed. The

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consent/election form on the District’s web site, click on “Operations & Filing” at the top of

the page, then click on “Forms” and then click on and print the appropriate form.

Consent/election forms are not to be e-filed. Consent/election forms are to be filed in paper

form with the Clerk’s Office. ECF Policies and Procedure Manual, II, ¶ N at p.24

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party filing the case or removing it to this District Court is responsible for serving all parties

with the consent forms. Each party must file a completed consent form and certificate of

service with the Clerk of the Court not later than 14 days after entry of appearance or as

otherwise directed by the Court, and shall serve a copy upon all other parties of record in the

case.

Any party is free to withhold consent to magistrate judge jurisdiction without

adverse consequences. Title 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(2); Rule 73(b), Fed.R.Civ.P.; Anderson v.

Woodcreek Venture Ltd., 351 F.3d 911, 913-14 (9th Cir. 2003) (pointing out that consent is

the “touchstone of magistrate judge jurisdiction” under Title 28 U.S.C. §636©). “A party

to a federal civil case has, subject to some exceptions, a constitutional right to proceed before

an Article III judge.” Dixon v. Ylst, 990 F.2d 478, 479 (9th Cir. 1993) (citing Pacemaker

Diagnostic Clinic of Am., Inc. V. Instromedix, Inc., 725 F.2d 537, 541 (9th Cir. 1984) (en

banc)).

A review of the Court’s file indicates that Plaintiff’s Complaint was filed on

July 1, 2011. Plaintiff shall have to and including Friday, July 22, 2011 within which to

either consent to magistrate judge jurisdiction or elect to proceed before a United States

district judge. 

Even though this Court recognizes the significant challenges a non-lawyer, 

pro se litigant may have in representing himself, the United States Supreme Court has made

clear that federal “judges have no obligation to act as counsel or paralegal to pro se litigants.”

Pliler v. Ford, 542 U.S. 225, 124 S.Ct 2441, 2446 (2004). Requiring trial judges to explain

the details of federal procedure or act as the pro se’s counsel “would undermine district

judges’ [or magistrate judges’] role as impartial decisionmakers.” Id.

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After reviewing Plaintiff’s Complaint, the Court concludes that it fails to

comply with several components of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Therefore, in order to proceed, Plaintiff must amend his Complaint to comply with Rule 8(a)

of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

 Rule 8(a) and (d), FED.R.CIV.P., provide:

(a) Claim for Relief. A pleading that states a claim for relief must contain:

(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction, unless

the court already has jurisdiction and the claim needs no new jurisdictional

support;

(2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled

to relief; and

(3) a demand for the relief sought, which may include relief in the alternative

or different types of relief.

* * * * * 

 (d) Pleading to Be Concise and Direct; Alternative Statements; Inconsistency.

(1) In General. Each allegation must be simple, concise, and direct. No

technical form is required.

 The Court advises Plaintiff that although a pro se’s pleadings may be held to

a less stringent standard than those prepared by attorneys, Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952,

957 (9th Cir. 1998) (citing Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21 (1972)), pro se litigants

must “abide by the rules of the court in which he litigates.” Carter v. Commissioner of

Internal Revenue, 784 F.2d 1006, 1008 (9th Cir. 1986). Moreover, pro se litigants “must

meet certain minimal standards of pleading.” Holsey v Collins, 90 F.R.D. 122, 128 (D. Md.,

1981) (citing Arey v Harris, No. 74-2360 (4th Cir. 1975) and stating that pro se litigants

“must adhere to the rudimentary dictates of civil procedure.”).

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires a complaint to include “a

short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Id.

While Rule 8 does not demand detailed factual allegations, “it demands more than an

unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, __ U.S. ___,

129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009). “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action,

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supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. In other words, “a plaintiff’s

obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitlement to relief’ requires more than labels and

conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of a cause of action’s elements will not do. Factual

allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level on the

assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true . . . .” Bell Atlantic Corp. v.

Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555-56 (2007) (citations and emphasis omitted). 

“[A] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to

‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Iqbal, 125 S.Ct. at 1949 (quoting

Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). A claim is plausible “when the plaintiff pleads factual content

that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the

misconduct alleged.” Id. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief

[is] . . . a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial

experience and common sense.” Id. at 1950. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), after Twombly and Iqbal, requires a short

and plain statement providing factual evidence that logically leads to a plausible claim for

relief. Plaintiff has not provided such a statement. Instead, the Complaint appears to be

more aptly described as stream-of-consciousness writing. Plaintiff asserts instances of rape,

insanity, discrimination and police reports; he is not clear as to whom these apply or how

they add to his claim(s). 

Plaintiff simply provides the Court with a series of events and opinions that

equate to “recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory

statements . . . .” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949. These statements “do not suffice.” Id. Plaintiff

asks for two-million dollars, but it is unclear to the Court why he seeks such relief. Plaintiff

also explains that he wants to press “criminal charges,” but this is not a claim for relief and

the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice have the exclusive authority to

initiate criminal charges in federal courts.

Clearly, Complaint does not satisfy the “short and plain statement” of facts

required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), showing a clear basis for a defendant’s

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liability. Therefore, the Court will order Plaintiff to amend his Complaint to allege a claim

with a short plain statement of facts establishing a plausible claim, in accordance with Fed.

R. Civ. P. 8(a) and Local Rule (“LRCiv”) 7.1. The Court also notes that while it is not

mandatory, it is recommended that Plaintiff use a typewriter or word-processor to draft his

Amended Complaint and other filings so that they are more legible.

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff shall file on or before Friday, July 22, 2011

his written election to either consent to magistrate judge jurisdiction or elect to proceed

before a United States district judge.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that on or before Friday, July 22, 2011, 

Plaintiff shall file an Amended Complaint in compliance with Rule 8(a), Fed.R.Civ.P., and

LRCiv 7.1 which shall contain a short and plain statement of his factual allegations against

the Defendant, and of each of these, specify the District Court’s jurisdictional basis, and

clarify the federal or state statute(s), if any, upon which Plaintiff is relying to support his

claim(s).

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the failure to comply with these orders,

and any of them, may result in the dismissal of Plaintiff’s Complaint without prejudice

pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), Rule 41, Fed.R.Civ.P., or pursuant to the Court’s inherent power.

Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258,1260 (9th Cir. 1992) (trial courts have the inherent power

to control their dockets and in the exercise of that power they may impose sanctions

including, where appropriate, dismissal of a case), 

 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED directing the Clerk of the Court to provide the

Plaintiff with a copy of “Filing A Complaint In Your Own Behalf.” 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that counsel and any party, if unrepresented,

shall hereinafter comply with the Rules of Practice for the United States District Court for

the District of Arizona, as amended on December 1, 2010. The District’s Rules of Practice

may be found on the District Court’s internet web page at www.azd.uscourts.gov/. All other

rules may be found as www.uscourts.gov/rules/.

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IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that counsel and any party, if unrepresented,

shall use the above caption, number and initials until further order of the Court.

Dated this 7th day of July, 2011.

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