Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02024/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02024-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Channel 10
Defendant
Ram Sing
Plaintiff
George Warren
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RAM SING,

Plaintiff,

v.

GEORGE WARREN & CHANNEL 10,

Defendants.

No. 2:16-cv-2024-MCE-KJN PS

ORDER

Plaintiff Ram Sing, who proceeds without counsel in this action, has requested leave to 

proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915.1 (ECF No. 2.) Plaintiff’s application in 

support of his request to proceed in forma pauperis makes the showing required by 28 U.S.C. § 

1915. Accordingly, the court grants plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis.

The determination that a plaintiff may proceed in forma pauperis does not complete the 

required inquiry. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915, the court is directed to dismiss the case at any 

time if it determines that the allegation of poverty is untrue, or if the action is frivolous or 

malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against 

an immune defendant. 

 

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This action proceeds before the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(21) and 28 U.S.C. § 

636(b)(1).

Case 2:16-cv-02024-MCE-KJN Document 3 Filed 09/27/16 Page 1 of 3
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A federal court has an independent duty to assess whether federal subject matter 

jurisdiction exists, whether or not the parties raise the issue. See United Investors Life Ins. Co. v. 

Waddell & Reed Inc., 360 F.3d 960, 967 (9th Cir. 2004) (stating that “the district court had a duty 

to establish subject matter jurisdiction over the removed action sua sponte, whether the parties 

raised the issue or not”); accord Rains v. Criterion Sys., Inc., 80 F.3d 339, 342 (9th Cir. 1996). 

The court must sua sponte dismiss the case if, at any time, it determines that it lacks subject 

matter jurisdiction. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). A federal district court generally has original 

jurisdiction over a civil action when: (1) a federal question is presented in an action “arising 

under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States” or (2) there is complete diversity of 

citizenship and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332(a). 

In this case, plaintiff appears to allege that defendants Channel 10 and George Warren, 

ostensibly a reporter for Channel 10, violated plaintiff’s rights under the United States and 

California constitutions by spreading propaganda about plaintiff, misrepresenting to the public 

that plaintiff took marijuana from California to Nevada, and trespassing on plaintiff’s property in 

the course of performing their news media work. (See generally ECF No. 1.)

Although plaintiff asserts a federal claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, such a claim generally 

does not lie against a private individual or business entity that does not act under color of state 

law. See Franklin v. Fox, 312 F.3d 423, 444 (9th Cir. 2002). To be sure, a private individual’s 

action can amount to state action under certain circumstances. See Franklin, 312 F.3d at 445 

(outlining four potential tests: (1) the public function test, (2) the joint action test, (3) the state 

compulsion test, or (4) the governmental nexus test). However, even though plaintiff apparently 

attempts to invoke the joint action test by alleging some type of conspiracy between defendants 

and some local sheriff, such allegations are entirely conclusory and vague. Therefore, plaintiff’s 

complaint does not state a cognizable federal claim sufficient to invoke the court’s federal 

question jurisdiction. Furthermore, there is no diversity of citizenship jurisdiction, because

plaintiff and defendants are all citizens of California. Consequently, the court lacks federal

subject matter jurisdiction over this action.

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Accordingly, the court dismisses plaintiff’s complaint, but with leave to amend. If 

plaintiff elects to file an amended complaint, it shall be clearly captioned “First Amended 

Complaint” and shall cure the jurisdictional deficiencies identified above. Plaintiff is informed 

that the court cannot refer to a prior complaint or other filing in order to make plaintiff’s first 

amended complaint complete. Local Rule 220 requires that an amended complaint be complete 

in itself without reference to any prior pleading. As a general rule, an amended complaint 

supersedes the original complaint, and once the first amended complaint is filed, the original 

complaint no longer serves any function in the case. 

Finally, nothing in this order requires plaintiff to file a first amended complaint. If 

plaintiff concludes that he is unable to cure such federal jurisdictional deficiencies, he may 

instead elect to file an action in state court. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 2) is granted.

2. Plaintiff’s complaint is dismissed, but with leave to amend.

3. Within 28 days of the date of this order, plaintiff shall file a first amended complaint 

in accordance with this order. Alternatively, if plaintiff no longer wishes to pursue 

this action in federal court, plaintiff shall file a notice of voluntary dismissal of the 

action without prejudice within 28 days of the date of this order.

4. Failure to file either a first amended complaint or a notice of voluntary dismissal 

without prejudice by the required deadline may result in dismissal of the action with 

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

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: September 27, 2016

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