Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_19-cv-05460/USCOURTS-cand-4_19-cv-05460-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANDRE KENNETH STUCKEY,

Plaintiff,

v.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 19-cv-05460-YGR (PR) 

ORDER GRANTING IN FORMA 

PAUPERIS STATUS; AND DENYING 

MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF 

COUNSEL

Plaintiff, a California state prisoner, has filed the instant pro se civil rights complaint

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. At the same time, Plaintiff has filed a motion for appointment of 

counsel and an application for in forma pauperis status. Dkts. 1, 2. 

Plaintiff’s application for in forma pauperis status is GRANTED. Dkt. 2. The total filing 

fee due is $350.00. The initial partial filing fee due for Plaintiff at this time is $0.50. A copy of 

this Order and the attached instruction sheet will be sent to Plaintiff, the Prison Trust Account 

Office and the Court’s Financial Office.

Plaintiff also requests the appointment of counsel to represent him in this action. Dkt. 1. 

There is no constitutional right to counsel in a civil case unless an indigent litigant may lose his 

physical liberty if he loses the litigation. See Lassiter v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., 452 U.S. 18, 25 

(1981); Rand v. Rowland, 113 F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997) (no constitutional right to counsel 

in § 1983 action), withdrawn in part on other grounds on reh’g en banc, 154 F.3d 952 (9th Cir. 

1998) (en banc). The court may ask counsel to represent an indigent litigant under 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915 only in “exceptional circumstances,” the determination of which requires an evaluation of 

both (1) the likelihood of success on the merits, and (2) the ability of the plaintiff to articulate his 

claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved. See id. at 1525; Terrell v. 

Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.2d 1328, 1331 (9th 

Case 4:19-cv-05460-YGR Document 6 Filed 01/03/20 Page 1 of 3
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

Cir. 1986). Both of these factors must be viewed together before reaching a decision on a request 

for counsel under § 1915. See id. 

The Court is unable to assess at this time whether exceptional circumstances exist which 

would warrant seeking volunteer counsel to accept a pro bono appointment. The proceedings are 

at an early stage and it is premature for the Court to determine Plaintiff’s likelihood of success on 

the merits. Moreover, Plaintiff has been able to articulate his claims adequately pro se in light of 

the complexity of the issues involved. See Agyeman v. Corrs. Corp. of Am., 390 F.3d 1101, 1103 

(9th Cir. 2004). Accordingly, the request for appointment of counsel at this time is DENIED. 

Dkt. 1.

The Court will conduct an initial screening of the complaint (dkt. 4) in a separate written 

Order.

This Order terminates Docket nos. 1 and 2.

Dated:

______________________________________

YVONNE GONZALEZ ROGERS

United States District Court Judge

January 3, 2020

Case 4:19-cv-05460-YGR Document 6 Filed 01/03/20 Page 2 of 3
3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAYMENT OF PRISONER’S FILING FEE

The prisoner shown as the plaintiff or petitioner on the attached order has filed a civil action in 

forma pauperis in this court and owes to the court a filing fee. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915, the 

fee is to be paid as follows:

The initial partial filing fee listed on the attached order should be 

deducted by the prison trust account office from the prisoner’s trust 

account and forwarded to the clerk of the court as the first installment 

payment on the filing fee. This amount is twenty percent of the 

greater of (a) the average monthly deposits to the prisoner’s account 

for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the 

complaint/petition or (b) the average monthly balance in the 

prisoner’s account for the 6-month period immediately preceding the 

filing of the complaint/petition. 

Thereafter, on a monthly basis, 20 percent of the preceding month’s 

income credited to the prisoner’s trust account should be deducted 

and forwarded to the court each time the amount in the account 

exceeds ten dollars ($10.00). The prison trust account office should 

continue to do this until the filing fee has been paid in full. 

If the prisoner does not have sufficient funds in his/her account to pay the initial partial filing fee, 

the prison trust account office should forward the available funds, and carry the balance forward 

each month until the amount is fully paid. 

If the prisoner has filed more than one complaint, (s)he is required to pay a filing fee for each case. 

The trust account office should make the monthly calculations and payments for each case in 

which it receives an order granting in forma pauperis and these instructions.

The prisoner’s name and case number must be noted on each remittance. The initial partial 

filing fee is due within thirty days of the date of the attached order. Checks should be made 

payable to Clerk, U.S. District Court and sent to Prisoner Accounts Receivable, U.S. District 

Court, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36060, San Francisco, CA 94102.

cc: Plaintiff/Petitioner

Finance Office

Prison Trust Account Office

Case 4:19-cv-05460-YGR Document 6 Filed 01/03/20 Page 3 of 3