Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-05029/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-05029-1/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

SHELBY SIMPSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

CLAIRE SOLIS, et. al.,

Defendants.

 /

CV F03 5029 AWI LJO P 

ORDER STRIKING REQUEST FOR

EXTENSION OF TIME AND MOTION FOR

APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL FROM

RECORD (Doc. 47, 48.) 

On April 25, 2005, this Court issued Findings and Recommendations that Defendant’s

Motion for Summary Judgment be granted. Plaintiff filed Objections to the Report and

Recommendation on May 10, 2005. 

On July 11, 2005, the Court received a Motion for the Appointment of Counsel and a

Request for an extension of time. However, in the request for an extension of time, Plaintiff does

not state the purpose for which he is seeking additional time. As noted above, the record shows

that Plaintiff has filed objections and there are no outstanding deadlines for Plaintiff to meet that

the Court could grant more time. 

With regard to his request for appointment of counsel, Plaintiff states that he needs

representation in this matter. However, again, as noted above, the Court has already issued its

Recommendation that the Motion be granted and Plaintiff himself has already submitted his

Objections to the Findings and Recommendations. Thus, the Court is unclear what sort of

assistance counsel could provide at this late stage in the proceedings. 

In any event, the court cannot require an attorney to represent plaintiff. Mallard v. United

States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain

Case 1:03-cv-05029-AWI-LJO Document 49 Filed 07/15/05 Page 1 of 2
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 The court has not yet screened plaintiff’s complaint to determine whether it contains any cognizable

claims for relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. The court has many civil cases pending before it and will screen plaintiff’s

complaint in due course.

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exceptional circumstances, the court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to

28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991). Without a

reasonable method of securing and compensating counsel, this court will seek volunteer counsel

only in the most serious and exceptional cases. “A finding of exceptional circumstances requires

an evaluation of both ‘the likelihood of success of the merits and the ability of the [plaintiff] to

articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved.’” Terrell, 935

F.2d at 1017 (citations omitted).

In the present case, the Court does not find the required exceptional circumstances. Even

if it is assumed that Plaintiff is not well versed in the law it is faced with similar cases almost

daily. At this late stage in the proceedings, the Court has already made a determination that

Plaintiff’s case cannot succeed on the merits.1 Terrell, 935 F.2d at 1017. Accordingly, the

Motion for Appointment of Counsel must be denied. 

The Court notes further that Plaintiff did not serve the opposing party as required by the

Federal and Local rules. Pursuant to the Local Rules and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,

all pleadings filed with the Court must be served on the opposing party. Local Rule 5-135(b);

Fed.R.Civ.P. 5. Accordingly, the pleadings must be stricken from the record for Plaintiff’s

failure to provide the opposing party with notice of his requests. 

The Court HEREBY ORDERS: 

1. The motion for Appointment of Counsel and Request for Extension of time are

ORDERED STRICKEN from the record. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 15, 2005 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

b9ed48 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:03-cv-05029-AWI-LJO Document 49 Filed 07/15/05 Page 2 of 2