Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-04879/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-04879-1/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

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LONNIE D. CHATMAN,

Plaintiff.

 v.

JOHN MARSHALL, Warden, R.

GRENZ, A. Warden, 

Defendant. _____________________________ 

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No. C 06-4879 MMC (PR) 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL

(Docket No. 14)

On August 14, 2006, plaintiff, a California prisoner proceeding pro se and seeking

leave to proceed in forma pauperis, filed the above-titled civil rights action under 42 U.S.C.

§ 1983, alleging that another inmate had “verbally sexually assaulted” two female employees

at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, where plaintiff was then incarcerated. 

On January 3, 2007, the Court conducted an initial screening of the complaint under

28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii), which requires the district court to dismiss an action where the

plaintiff seeks to proceed in forma pauperis and the complaint “fails to state a claim on which

relief may be granted.” The Court found plaintiff’s complaint failed to state a claim for relief

because: (1) allegations of verbal harassment do not state a claim for relief under § 1983;

(2) actions taken by another inmate are not taken “under color of state law,” an essential

element of a § 1983 claim; and (3) plaintiff had failed to make any allegations with respect to

the two individuals identified in the caption of plaintiff’s in forma pauperis application. 

Case 3:06-cv-04879-MMC Document 15 Filed 11/08/07 Page 1 of 2
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Consequently, the Court dismissed the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief

may be granted, and directed the Clerk of the Court to close the file. (See Order of

Dismissal, filed Jan. 3, 2007.)

Subsequent to the Court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint, plaintiff has sent to the

Court several letters captioned with the case number of the above-titled action. In those

letters, plaintiff informs the Court of problems he has had with prison officials at R.J.

Donovan State Prison and Pleasant Valley State Prison. Most recently, on August 9, 2007,

plaintiff filed a motion for appointment of counsel in the above-titled action. In the motion,

plaintiff states he requires counsel to assist him with the filing of a missing property claim.

The above-titled action was dismissed on January 3, 2007, and is no longer pending

before the Court. Accordingly, plaintiff’s motion for appointment of counsel is hereby

DENIED. 

Because plaintiff’s communications with the Court subsequent to January 3, 2007

indicate that he believes the action is still open, the Court will take this opportunity to clarify

for plaintiff that the instant action, titled Chatman v. Marshall, No. C 06-4879 MMC (PR), is

closed, and that no claims will proceed under said case number. If plaintiff is attempting to

seek relief for claims that arose at either R.J. Donovan State Prison or Pleasant Valley State

Prison, he must file complaints concerning those claims in the proper venue. See U.S.C. §

1391(b). For claims arising at R.J. Donovan State Prison, which is in San Diego County, the

proper venue is the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. See

28 U.S.C. § 84(d). For claims arising at Pleasant Valley State Prison, which is in Fresno

County, the proper venue is the United States District Court for the Eastern District of

California. See id. § 84(b).

This order terminates Docket No. 14.

 IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: November 8, 2007 _________________________

 MAXINE M. CHESNEY

 United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-04879-MMC Document 15 Filed 11/08/07 Page 2 of 2