Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00587/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00587-3/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THURMAN GAINES,

Plaintiff,

vs.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF

CORRECTIONS, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:15-cv-00587-RRB

ORDER RE: REQUEST FOR COPY

OF FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

[DOCKET 17]

At Docket 17 Plaintiff Thurman Gaines a California state prisoner appearing pro se

and in forma pauperis, has requested the Court provide him with a copy of his First

Amended Complaint.

Unfortunately, Plaintiff has no constitutional right to have the court provide him free

copies of documents in the court’s file.1 The expenditure of public funds on behalf of an

indigent is proper only when authorized by Congress.2 Consequently, in forma pauperis

status does not entitle Plaintiff to free copies in the court file.3

Accordingly, the Request for a copy of the First Amended Complaint is DENIED.

1

 Cf. Sands v. Lewis, 886 F.2d 1166, 1169 (9th Cir.1990) (noting that “numerous courts

have rejected any constitutional right to free and unlimited photocopying” by prisoners),

2 Tedder v. Odel, 890 F.2d 210, 211–12 (9th Cir. 1989).

3

 See 28 U.S.C. § 1915; see e.g., In re Richard, 914 F.2d 1526, 1527 (6th Cir.1990) (Court

concluded that 28 U.S.C. § 1915, the in forma pauperis statute, “does not give the [prisoner] litigant

a right to have documents copies and returned to him at government expense”).

Case 1:15-cv-00587-JLT-SAB Document 18 Filed 03/02/16 Page 1 of 2
Concurrently with this Order, the Clerk of the Court is directed to provide Gaines

with a copy of the form for ordering copies of the court file and the District Court

Miscellaneous Fee Schedule

IT IS SO ORDERED this 1st day of March, 2016

S/ RALPH R. BEISTLINE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

ORDER RE: RE REQUESDT FOR COPY OF FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

Gaines v. CDCR, 1:15-cv-00587-RRB – 2

Case 1:15-cv-00587-JLT-SAB Document 18 Filed 03/02/16 Page 2 of 2