Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_08-cv-00615/USCOURTS-caed-1_08-cv-00615-14/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

JAQUES FEARENCE, 

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

L. L. SCHULTEIS, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:08-cv-00615-LJO-GSA-PC

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S

MOTION FOR LEAVE TO AMEND

(Doc. 57.)

THIRTY DAY DEADLINE TO FILE A 

THIRD AMENDED COMPLAINT AS 

INSTRUCTED BY THIS ORDER

I. BACKGROUND

Jaques Fearence (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with this civil rights 

action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff filed the Complaint commencing this action on 

May 1, 2008. (Doc. 1.) This case now proceeds on the Second Amended Complaint filed on 

March 25, 2013, against defendants Hopkins and Busby for use of excessive force; against 

defendants Hopkins, Davis, Duffy, and John Doe for failure to protect Plaintiff; and against 

defendants Hopkins, Busby, Davis, Duffy, and John Doe for conspiracy to use excessive force 

against Plaintiff, for damages only.1 (Doc. 44.) This case is presently in the discovery phase.

On October 3, 2013, Plaintiff filed a motion for leave to amend the complaint. (Doc. 

57.) Defendants have not filed an opposition.

 

1 On June 26, 2013, the court dismissed all other claims from this action based on Plaintiff’s 

failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted under § 1983. (Doc. 48.)

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II. RULE 15(a) - LEAVE TO AMEND

Under Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may amend the 

party=s pleading once as a matter of course at any time before a responsive pleading is served. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Otherwise, a party may amend only by leave of the court or by written 

consent of the adverse party, and leave shall be freely given when justice so requires. Id. Here, 

because Plaintiff has already amended the complaint twice, Plaintiff requires leave of court to 

file a Third Amended Complaint.

ARule 15(a) is very liberal and leave to amend >shall be freely given when justice so 

requires.=@ AmerisourceBergen Corp. v. Dialysis West, Inc., 445 F.3d 1132, 1136 (9th Cir. 

2006) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)). However, courts Aneed not grant leave to amend where 

the amendment: (1) prejudices the opposing party; (2) is sought in bad faith; (3) produces an 

undue delay in the litigation; or (4) is futile.@ Id. The factor of A>[u]ndue delay by itself . . . is 

insufficient to justify denying a motion to amend.=@ Owens v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, 

Inc., 244 F.3d 708, 712,13 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Bowles v. Reade, 198 F.3d 752, 757-58 

(9th Cir. 1999)). 

A. Plaintiff’s Motion

Plaintiff seeks to amend the complaint to identify the John Doe Defendant in this action. 

Plaintiff asserts that since the filing of the complaint, he has determined that the name of the 

John Doe Defendant is J. M. Beckett, a correctional sergeant at the California Correctional 

Institution in Tehachapi, California.

B. Discussion

Plaintiff has previously amended the complaint and therefore requires leave of court to 

file a Third Amended Complaint. The court finds no evidence of prejudice, bad faith, undue 

delay in the litigation, or futility in allowing Plaintiff to amend the complaint for the purpose of 

identifying the John Doe Defendant. Defendants have not opposed the motion. Therefore, 

Plaintiff’s motion to amend shall be granted.

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III. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Plaintiff shall be granted leave to file a Third Amended Complaint within thirty days, to 

identify the John Doe Defendant in this action. 

The amended complaint should be brief, but must state what each named defendant did 

that led to the deprivation of Plaintiff=s constitutional or other federal rights. Fed. R. Civ. P. 

8(a); Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 676; Jones v. Williams, 297 F.3d 930, 934 (9th Cir. 2002). There is no 

respondeat superior liability, and each defendant is only liable for his or her own misconduct. 

Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 676-77. Plaintiff must set forth Asufficient factual matter ... to >state a claim 

that is plausible on its face.=@ Id. at 1949 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). Plaintiff must 

also demonstrate that each defendant personally participated in the deprivation of her rights. 

Jones, 297 F.3d at 934 (emphasis added). Although accepted as true, the “[f]actual allegations 

must be [sufficient] to raise a right to relief above the speculative level ....” Twombly, 550 U.S. 

at 554 (citations omitted).

Plaintiff should note that although he has been given the opportunity to amend, it is not 

for the purpose of adding new allegations or claims. Plaintiff is granted leave to amend the 

complaint for the sole purpose of identifying the John Doe Defendant.

Plaintiff is reminded that an amended complaint supercedes the [prior] complaint, 

Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F 3d. 896, 907 n.1 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc), and it must be 

complete in itself without reference to the prior or superceded pleading, Local Rule 220. 

Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the 

involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged. The amended complaint should be 

clearly and boldly titled AThird Amended Complaint,@ refer to the appropriate case number, and 

be an original signed under penalty of perjury. 

Based on the foregoing, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff=s motion to amend, filed on October 3, 2013, is GRANTED;

2. The Clerk=s Office shall send Plaintiff a civil rights complaint form;

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

a Third Amended Complaint, as instructed by this order;

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4. Plaintiff shall caption the amended complaint AThird Amended Complaint@ and 

refer to the case number 1:08-cv-00615-LJO-GSA-PC; 

5. Plaintiff may not add any new allegations or claims to this action via his

amended complaint and any attempt to do so will result in an order striking the 

amended complaint; and

6. Plaintiff’s failure to comply with this order shall result in a recommendation that 

this action be dismissed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 8, 2013 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE DEAC_Signature-END:

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