Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-02584/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-02584-0/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 Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MATTHEW ALAN LAWRIE,

Plaintiff,

 v.

RICHARD G. CLINE, et al.,

Defendants. /

No. C 11-01235 SBA (PR)

ORDER GRANTING 

IN FORMA PAUPERIS STATUS; ORDER

DENYING MOTIONS FOR

APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL

Plaintiff, a state prisoner, filed the instant pro se prisoner complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 

Before the Court are Plaintiff's motions for in forma pauperis and his motions for appointment of

counsel.

 Plaintiff's applications for in forma pauperis status are GRANTED. The total filing fee due

is $350.00. The initial partial filing fee due for Plaintiff at this time is $0.00. 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. The Court will review Plaintiff's complaint in a separate written Order.

Also before the Court are Plaintiff's motions for appointment of counsel. 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withdrawn in part on other grounds on reh'g en banc, 154 F.3d 952 (9th Cir. 1998) (en banc).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 Cir. 1986). Both of these factors

must be viewed together before reaching a decision on a request for counsel under § 1915. See id. 

Case 3:11-cv-02584-H-JMA Document 10 Filed 05/13/11 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\PRO-SE\SBA\CR.11\Lawrie1235.Atty-IFP.frm 2

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 is DENIED without prejudice. 

This does not mean, however, that the Court will not consider appointment of counsel at a later

juncture in the proceedings; that is, after Defendants have filed their dispositive motion such that the

Court will be in a better position to consider the procedural and substantive matters at issue. 

Therefore, Plaintiff may file a renewed motion for the appointment of counsel after Defendants'

dispositive motion has been filed. If the Court decides that appointment of counsel is warranted at

that time, it will seek volunteer counsel to agree to represent Plaintiff pro bono.

This Order terminates Docket nos. 4, 7, 8 and 9.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: 5/10/11 

SAUNDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG

United States District Judge

Case 3:11-cv-02584-H-JMA Document 10 Filed 05/13/11 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\PRO-SE\SBA\CR.11\Lawrie1235.Atty-IFP.frm 3

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

Case 3:11-cv-02584-H-JMA Document 10 Filed 05/13/11 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\PRO-SE\SBA\CR.11\Lawrie1235.Atty-IFP.frm 4

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MATTHEW ALAN LAWRIE,

Plaintiff,

 v.

RICHARD G CLINE et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV11-01235 SBA 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on May 13, 2011, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing said

copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by depositing said

envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery receptacle

located in the Clerk's office.

Matthew A. Lawrie F74464

Corcoran State Prison

P.O. Box 5246

Corcoran, CA 93212

Dated: May 13, 2011

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: LISA R CLARK, Deputy Clerk

Case 3:11-cv-02584-H-JMA Document 10 Filed 05/13/11 Page 4 of 4