Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02151/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02151-8/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 

ROBERT LEE JENKINS, JR., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

BONDS, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:13-cv-2151-GEB-EFB P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel in an action brought under 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. He seeks an order from the court directing defense counsel to provide him with a 

copy of the transcript from his deposition, free of charge. ECF No. 30. Pursuant to Rule 30 of 

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, however, plaintiff must first pay for a copy of the 

deposition transcript, and then obtain it from the officer before whom the deposition was taken. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(f)(3). Plaintiff cites to no authority suggesting that either the court or the 

defendant, should instead be forced to bear this cost. Although plaintiff is proceeding in forma 

pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915, that statute does not authorize the expenditure of public 

funds for deposition transcripts. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915; Tedder v. Odel, 890 F.2d 210, 211-12 

(9th Cir. 1989) (per curiam) (“‘[T]he expenditure of public funds [on behalf of an indigent 

litigant] is proper only when authorized by Congress’”) (alteration in original) (quoting United 

States v. MacCollom, 426 U.S. 317, 321 (1976)). 

Case 2:13-cv-02151-GEB-EFB Document 31 Filed 01/17/17 Page 1 of 2
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 Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s request for a free copy of his 

deposition transcript (ECF No. 30) is denied. 

DATED: January 17, 2017. 

Case 2:13-cv-02151-GEB-EFB Document 31 Filed 01/17/17 Page 2 of 2