Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-01549/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-01549-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Matthew Kropp
Plaintiff
Jeffery Scott
Defendant

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MATTHEW KROPP,

Plaintiff,

v.

JEFFERY SCOTT,

Defendant.

Case No. 18-cv-01549-JCS (PR) 

ORDER OF SERVICE;

ORDER DIRECTING DEFENDANT 

TO FILE A DISPOSITIVE MOTION 

OR NOTICE REGARDING SUCH 

MOTION;

INSTRUCTIONS TO CLERK

Dkt. No. 9

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff alleges in this federal civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that a 

prison guard at Pelican Bay State Prison used excessive force against him in violation of 

the Eighth Amendment.1

The complaint states cognizable claims. Therefore, in response to the complaint, 

defendant is directed to file a dispositive motion or notice regarding such motion on or 

before September 24, 2018. The Court further directs defendant to adhere to the notice 

provisions detailed in Sections 2.a and 10 of the conclusion of this order. 

 

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Plaintiff consented to magistrate judge jurisdiction. (Dkt. No. 7.) 

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DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

In its initial review of this pro se complaint, this Court must dismiss any claim that 

is frivolous or malicious, or fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks 

monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief. See 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(e). Pro se pleadings must be liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police 

Dep’t., 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1988). 

A “complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to „state a 

claim to relief that is plausible on its face.‟” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) 

(quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). “A claim has facial 

plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the 

reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. (quoting 

Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). Furthermore, a court “is not required to accept legal 

conclusions cast in the form of factual allegations if those conclusions cannot reasonably 

be drawn from the facts alleged.” Clegg v. Cult Awareness Network, 18 F.3d 752, 754-55 

(9th Cir. 1994). 

B. Legal Claims 

Plaintiff alleges that on March 9, 2017 Pelican Bay prison guard Jeffrey Scott used 

excessive force against him by shooting him without justification. When liberally 

construed, these allegations state cognizable claims. Plaintiff also alleges a state tort claim 

of intentional infliction of emotional distress. This claim shall proceed in this action. 

MOTION FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL

The motion for the appointment of counsel is DENIED without prejudice to 

plaintiff renewing his motion after defendant has responded to the complaint. (Dkt. No. 9.) 

This case does not present factually or legally complex issues and plaintiff has filed clearly 

written and well-reasoned filings without assistance. Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 

1236 (9th Cir. 1984) (the decision to request counsel to represent an indigent litigant under 

28 U.S.C. § 1915 is within “the sound discretion of the trial court and is granted only in 

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exceptional circumstances.”). 

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the Court orders as follows: 

1. The Clerk of the Court shall issue summons and a Magistrate Judge

jurisdiction consent form and the United States Marshal shall serve these forms, without 

prepayment of fees, along with a copy of the operative complaint in this matter (Dkt. No. 

1), all attachments thereto, and a copy of this order upon Correctional Officer Jeffrey Scott 

at Pelican Bay State Prison. The Clerk shall also mail courtesy copies of the complaint 

and this order to the California Attorney General‟s Office.

2. On or before September 24, 2018, defendant shall file a motion for

summary judgment or other dispositive motion with respect to the claims in the complaint 

found to be cognizable above. 

a. If defendant elects to file a motion to dismiss on the grounds plaintiff 

failed to exhaust his available administrative remedies as required by 42 U.S.C. 

§ 1997e(a), defendant shall do so in a motion for summary judgment, as required by 

Albino v. Baca, 747 F.3d 1162 (9th Cir. 2014).

b. Any motion for summary judgment shall be supported by adequate 

factual documentation and shall conform in all respects to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of 

Civil Procedure. Defendant is advised that summary judgment cannot be granted, nor 

qualified immunity found, if material facts are in dispute. If any defendant is of the 

opinion that this case cannot be resolved by summary judgment, he shall so inform the 

Court prior to the date the summary judgment motion is due. 

3. Plaintiff‟s opposition to the dispositive motion shall be filed with the Court 

and served on defendant no later than forty-five (45) days from the date defendant‟s 

motion is filed. 

4. Defendant shall file a reply brief no later than fifteen (15) days after

plaintiff‟s opposition is filed. 

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5. The motion shall be deemed submitted as of the date the reply brief is due. 

No hearing will be held on the motion unless the Court so orders at a later date. 

6. All communications by the plaintiff with the Court must be served on 

defendant, or defendant‟s counsel once counsel has been designated, by mailing a true 

copy of the document to defendant or defendant‟s counsel.

7. Discovery may be taken in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure. No further court order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(a)(2) or Local 

Rule 16-1 is required before the parties may conduct discovery.

8. It is plaintiff‟s responsibility to prosecute this case. Plaintiff must keep the 

Court informed of any change of address and must comply with the Court‟s orders in a 

timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to 

prosecute pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

9. Extensions of time must be filed no later than the deadline sought to be 

extended and must be accompanied by a showing of good cause.

10. A decision from the Ninth Circuit requires that pro se prisoner-plaintiffs

be given “notice of what is required of them in order to oppose” summary judgment 

motions at the time of filing of the motions, rather than when the court orders service of 

process or otherwise before the motions are filed. Woods v. Carey, 684 F.3d 934, 939-41 

(9th Cir. 2012). Defendants shall provide the following notice to plaintiff when they file 

and serve any motion for summary judgment: 

The defendants have made a motion for summary judgment by which they 

seek to have your case dismissed. A motion for summary judgment under 

Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure will, if granted, end your 

case.

Rule 56 tells you what you must do in order to oppose a motion for 

summary judgment. Generally, summary judgment must be granted when 

there is no genuine issue of material fact — that is, if there is no real 

dispute about any fact that would affect the result of your case, the party 

who asked for summary judgment is entitled to judgment as a matter of 

law, which will end your case. When a party you are suing makes a motion 

for summary judgment that is properly supported by declarations (or other 

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sworn testimony), you cannot simply rely on what your complaint says. 

Instead, you must set out specific facts in declarations, depositions, answers 

to interrogatories, or authenticated documents, as provided in Rule 56(e), 

that contradict the facts shown in the defendants‟ declarations and 

documents and show that there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. 

If you do not submit your own evidence in opposition, summary judgment, 

if appropriate, 

may be entered against you. If summary judgment is granted, your case 

will be dismissed and there will be no trial. 

Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952, 962-963 (9th Cir. 1998). 

11. Plaintiff‟s motion for the appointment of counsel is DENIED without 

prejudice. (Dkt. No. 9.) 

12. The Clerk shall terminate Dkt. No. 9. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 13, 2018

_________________________

 JOSEPH C. SPERO

 Chief Magistrate Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MATTHEW KROPP,

Plaintiff,

v.

JEFFERY SCOTT,

Defendant.

Case No. 18-cv-01549-JCS 

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 June 13, 2018, 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 Kropp ID: T-46877

Pelican Bay State Prison

P.O. Box 7500

Crescent City, CA 95532 

Dated: June 13, 2018

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Karen Hom, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JOSEPH C. SPERO

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