Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00344/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00344-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Bivens Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOEL MEJIA PLASENCIA,

Plaintiff,

v.

MRS. STUMP, et al.,

Defendants.

 /

CASE NO. 1:05-CV-00344-REC-SMS-P

ORDER STRIKING COMPLAINT FOR LACK

OF SIGNATURE, AND REQUIRING

PLAINTIFF TO FILE SIGNED COMPLAINT

(Doc. 1) 

ORDER DIRECTING CLERK’S OFFICE TO

SEND PLAINTIFF BIVENS COMPLAINT

FORM

Plaintiff Joel Mejia Plasencia (“plaintiff”) is a federal prisoner proceeding pro se and in

forma pauperis in this civil action pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal

Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), which provides a remedy for violation of civil rights by

federal actors. Plaintiff filed this action on March 11, 2005. 

A review of plaintiff’s complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A revealed that plaintiff did

not sign his complaint. All documents submitted for filing must include the original signature of the

filing party or parties. Local Rule 7-131; Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). Because plaintiff failed to sign his

complaint, it must be stricken from the record.

In reviewing plaintiff’s complaint in an attempt to locate a signature, the court noted that

plaintiff’s statement of his claim is interspersed amongst exhibits. In amending his complaint,

plaintiff is directed to comply with Rule 8(a), which calls for a “short and plain statement of the

claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Rule 8(a) expresses the principle of

Case 1:05-cv-00344-OWW -SMS Document 10 Filed 08/09/05 Page 1 of 2
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notice-pleading, whereby the pleader need only give the opposing party fair notice of a claim.

Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957). Rule 8(a) does not require an elaborate recitation of

every fact a plaintiff may ultimately rely upon at trial, but only a statement sufficient to “give the

defendant fair notice of what the plaintiff’s claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Id. at 47.

All of plaintiff’s claims should be set forth in one section of the complaint. Although

plaintiff may attach additional pages, those pages should be in consecutive order, not interspersed

amongst the exhibits. It is not the court’s duty to wade through plaintiff’s eighty-five page

complaint and parse out from in amongst the lengthy exhibits the attached pages on which plaintiff

sets forth his claims. 

Accordingly, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s complaint is STRICKEN from the record for lack of signature;

2. The Clerk’s Office shall send plaintiff a Bivens complaint form;

3. Within thirty (30) days from the date of service of this order, plaintiff shall file an

amended complaint; and

4. The failure to file an amended complaint in compliance with this order will result in

the dismissal of this action.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 9, 2005 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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