Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01446/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01446-0/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 Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KEITH M. CASSELLS, 

Plaintiff,

v.

SECRETARY OF CAL. DEPT. OF

CORRECTIONS & 

REHABILITATION; et al., 

Defendants. /

No. C 15-2907 SI (pr)

ORDER OF TRANSFER

This action was opened when the court received from Keith Cassells, an inmate at the

California Medical Facility in Vacaville, a "Motion For Enforcement of Consent Decree Based

On Contempt Of Consent Decree; Requesting Declaratory and Injunctive Relief; Compensatory

And Punitive Damages - Sanctions Based On Violations Of Consent Decree and Court Orders."

Docket # 1 at 1. Cassells put two case captions on the first page of the document: a new case

(without any case number) of Cassells v. Secretary of CDCR, and the existing case of Plata v.

Brown, Case No. 01-cv-1351 TEH. In an effort to protect his rights, the motion was filed and

a new case was opened as Case No. 15-cv-2907 SI.

In his filing, Cassells alleges that he has a right to be referred to the BPH for early release

consideration but defendants at CMF-Vacaville have not referred him for such consideration.

He alleges that defendants have violated his civil rights, see Docket # 1 at 8, 15, 20, and have

violated a consent decree and/or orders in the Plata case. All of the alleged misconduct occurred

at CMF-Vacaville. Giving the pro se filing the liberal construction to which it is entitled, the

Case 2:15-cv-01446-WBS-CKD Document 3 Filed 07/02/15 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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document appears to be both a motion for inclusion in the Plata case and a new civil rights

complaint. The former must be dismissed and the latter must be transferred to the proper venue

for consideration of whether it can proceed. 

The court construes the document to, in part, seek enforcement of a consent decree or

orders in Plata v. Brown, 01-cv-1351 TEH. Judge Henderson has determined that individual

inmates may not file pro se motions in the Plata case: "As members of the Plaintiff class,

[individual] inmates are represented parties and may file motions only through their counsel of

record. Accordingly, . . . the Clerk shall not file in this action any further documents submitted

by pro se inmates." Plata v. Brown, No. 01-1351, Order filed February 7, 2011 (Docket # 2348).

Due to the disallowance of pro se motions in Plata, plaintiff's motion to enforce the consent

decree is DISMISSED. (Docket # 1.) 

The court also liberally construes the document to be, in part, a civil rights complaint

because Cassells alleges that his due process rights have been violated. See Docket # 1 at 15,

20. The events and omissions giving rise to the complaint occurred at CMF-Vacaville.

Vacaville is in Solano County, within the venue of the Eastern District of California. Some or

all of the defendants apparently reside in the Eastern District of California. No defendant is

alleged to reside in, and none of the events or omissions giving rise to the complaint appears to

have occurred in, the Northern District. Venue therefore would be proper in the Eastern District

and not in this one. See 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b). Accordingly, in the interest of justice and pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a), this action is TRANSFERRED to the United States District Court for

the Eastern District of California. The clerk shall transfer this matter.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 2, 2015 _______________________

 SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judges

Case 2:15-cv-01446-WBS-CKD Document 3 Filed 07/02/15 Page 2 of 2