Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01544/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01544-2/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

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PEDRO MIRAMONTES,

Plaintiff,

v.

L. GOWER, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:15-cv-1544 JAM CKD P

ORDER

Plaintiff has requested appointment of counsel. The court cannot require an attorney to 

represent a plaintiff who cannot pay for the attorney’s services. Mallard v. United States Dist. 

Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). However, under the federal in forma pauperis statute, 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915, the court may request that an attorney represent a person unable to afford counsel. 28 

U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). The court will make that request only when there are exceptional 

circumstances. When determining whether “exceptional circumstances” exist, the court 

considers, among other things, plaintiff's likelihood of success on the merits as well as the ability 

of the plaintiff to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues 

involved. Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2009). 

In the present case, the court does not find the required exceptional circumstances at this 

stage of these proceedings.

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Case 2:15-cv-01544-JAM-CKD Document 27 Filed 08/10/16 Page 1 of 2
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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion for appointment of 

counsel (ECF No. 26) is denied without prejudice.

Dated: August 10, 2016

1

mira1544.36

_____________________________________

CAROLYN K. DELANEY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:15-cv-01544-JAM-CKD Document 27 Filed 08/10/16 Page 2 of 2