Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00479/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00479-5/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

ANTHONY TYRONE GARRISON,

Plaintiff,

v.

OFFICER BAUTISTA,

Defendant.

No. 2:13-cv-00479 JAM KJN P

ORDER

Plaintiff, who is detained in the Solano County Jail, again requests the appointment of 

counsel.1 Plaintiff explains that he does not know how to proceed in this action, does not 

understand the law, and is required to defend his action against defendant’s lawyer. Plaintiff 

further states, “[p]lease reconsider your earlier denial of counsel, if this isn’t taken to the fullest 

extent, this officer will assault someone else if not kill them purpose[fully] as he wanted to do to 

me.” (ECF No. 28 at 1.) 

Plaintiff proceeds in forma pauperis in this action. On July 26, 2013, the court reopened 

this case at plaintiff’s request. (ECF No. 17.) On August 2, 2013, the court directed the United 

States Marshal to serve process on sole defendant Bautista. Because service of process remains 

 

1 Although designated a motion for reconsideration by the Clerk of Court, which is accurate 

insofar as plaintiff requests reconsideration of the court’s denial of his first motion for 

appointment of counsel, the request is more accurately entitled a motion for appointment of 

counsel.

Case 2:13-cv-00479-JAM-KJN Document 29 Filed 10/07/13 Page 1 of 3
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outstanding, this case, at present, is effectively inactive. Until defendant Bautista appears in this 

action, plaintiff has no affirmative obligations. Should defendant file an answer, the court will 

issue a discovery and scheduling order, and discovery will commence. Should defendant file a 

motion to dismiss, plaintiff will be required to file an opposition. However, pending defendant’s 

appearance, plaintiff need prepare and file no matters herein.

Additionally, the court is not persuaded that plaintiff, or some unidentified third party, is 

at risk of harm by defendant Bautista, a Vallejo Police Department Officer. While this action 

proceeds against defendant Bautista based on an allegation of excessive force against plaintiff, the 

alleged misconduct allegedly occurred on November 10, 2012, nearly one year ago. Plaintiff has 

submitted no information indicating that defendant Bautista has unfettered physical access to 

plaintiff at the Solano County Jail, or that defendant has a record of excessive force, or 

complaints of excessive force, against arrestees other than plaintiff. In other words, plaintiff has 

submitted no objective basis for concluding that appointment of counsel in the instant case would 

serve as a deterrent to defendant Bautista’s future use of excessive force. While an ultimate

verdict for plaintiff in this case may be such a deterrent, this result can be achieved by the court’s 

routinely careful scrutiny of pro se cases, without appointment of counsel. The court finds no 

exceptional circumstances warranting appointment of counsel at this time.

The court denies plaintiff’s instant motion for appointment of counsel for the same 

reasons previously stated by the court (ECF No. 14 at 2-3):

District courts lack authority to require counsel to represent 

indigent prisoners in section 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States 

Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In exceptional 

circumstances, the court may request that an attorney voluntarily 

represent such a plaintiff. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1); Terrell v. 

Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. 

Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). When 

determining whether “exceptional circumstances” exist, the court 

must consider plaintiff’s likelihood of success on the merits as well 

as plaintiff’s ability 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). The burden of demonstrating 

exceptional circumstances is on the plaintiff. Id. Circumstances 

common to most prisoners, such as lack of legal education and 

limited law library access, do not establish exceptional 

circumstances warranting the appointment of counsel.

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. . . [T]he court found, upon initial screening, that plaintiff was able 

to articulate his claim, despite the complexity of the legal issues 

involved, and that there was some likelihood of success on the 

merits of his claim. Despite plaintiff’s current protestations to the 

contrary, the court continues to abide by these assessments. 

Plaintiff’s concern that he is unfamiliar with the legal process (a 

process which he initiated) is common to most prisoners.

Plaintiff’s assertion that he has limited reading skills is not 

supported by a review of his writing skills, which appear to be 

above the norm. Having thus considered the factors under Palmer, 

the court finds that plaintiff has failed to meet his burden of 

demonstrating exceptional circumstances warranting the

appointment of counsel at this time.

The court will consider a new motion for appointment of counsel after defendant has 

appeared in this action, subject to plaintiff’s demonstration of exceptional circumstances as 

required under Palmer.

Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s second motion for appointment of counsel (ECF No. 28), is denied without 

prejudice.

2. The Clerk of Court is directed to redesignate plaintiff’s motion (ECF No. 28), as a 

motion for appointment of counsel.

Dated: October 7, 2013

garr0479.110.2

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