Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00498/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00498-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
C. King
Defendant
Theodore Britton Yates
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THEODORE BRITTON YATES,

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

C. KING,

 Defendant.

1:14-cv-00498-GSA-PC

ORDER INFORMING PLAINTIFF HE 

HAS LEAVE TO AMEND THE 

COMPLAINT ONCE AS A MATTER OF 

COURSE

(Doc. 5 resolved)

THIRTY DAY DEADLINE TO FILE 

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT

ORDER FOR CLERK TO SEND 

COMPLAINT FORM TO PLAINTIFF

I. BACKGROUND

Theodore Britton Yates (“Plaintiff") is a state prisoner proceeding pro se in this civil 

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ' 1983. Plaintiff filed the Complaint commencing this 

action on April 4, 2014. (Doc. 1.) On April 17, 2014, Plaintiff consented to Magistrate Judge 

jurisdiction in this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 636(c), and no other parties have made an 

appearance. (Doc. 4.) Therefore, pursuant to Appendix A(k)(4) of the Local Rules of the 

Eastern District of California, the undersigned shall conduct any and all proceedings in the case 

until such time as reassignment to a District Judge is required. Local Rule Appendix A(k)(3).

Now pending is Plaintiff=s motion to amend the complaint, filed on April 17, 2014. 

(Doc. 5.)

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II. LEAVE TO AMEND – RULE 15(a)

Under Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may amend the 

party=s pleading once as a matter of course at any time before a responsive pleading is served. 

Otherwise, a party may amend only by leave of the court or by written consent of the adverse 

party, and leave shall be freely given when justice so requires. Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a). Because 

Plaintiff has not amended the complaint, and no responsive pleading has been served in this 

action, Plaintiff has leave to file an amended complaint as a matter of course. 

Plaintiff is informed he must demonstrate in his amended complaint how the conditions 

complained of have resulted in a deprivation of Plaintiff=s constitutional rights. See Ellis v. 

Cassidy, 625 F.2d 227 (9th Cir. 1980). The amended complaint must allege in specific terms 

how each named defendant is involved. There can be no liability under 42 U.S.C. ' 1983 

unless there is some affirmative link or connection between a defendant=s actions and the 

claimed deprivation. Rizzo v. Goode, 423 U.S. 362 (1976); May v. Enomoto, 633 F.2d 164, 

167 (9th Cir. 1980); Johnson v. Duffy, 588 F.2d 740, 743 (9th Cir. 1978). 

Further, Plaintiff may not change the nature of this suit by adding new, unrelated claims 

in his amended complaint. George v. Smith, 507 F.3d 605, 607 (7th Cir. 2007) (no Abuckshot@

complaints).

Finally, Plaintiff is advised that an amended complaint supercedes the original 

complaint, Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F 3d. 896, 907 n.1 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc), and it 

must be complete in itself without reference to the prior or superceded pleading. Local Rule 

220. Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the 

involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged. The First Amended Complaint 

should be clearly and boldly titled AFirst Amended Complaint,@ refer to the appropriate case 

number, and be an original signed under penalty of perjury. 

III. CONCLUSION

Accordingly, it is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff is informed that he has leave to amend the complaint once as a matter 

of course;

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2. This order resolves Plaintiff's motion to amend the complaint, filed on April 17, 

2014;

3. Within thirty (30) days from the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall file a 

First Amended Complaint using the court=s form;

4. The First Amended Complaint should be clearly and boldly titled AFirst 

Amended Complaint,@ refer to case number 1:14-cv-00498-GSA-PC, and be an 

original signed under penalty of perjury;

5. The Clerk of the Court shall send one civil rights complaint form to Plaintiff; 

and

6. Plaintiff is warned that the failure to comply with this order may result in the 

dismissal of this action for failure to obey a court order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 21, 2014 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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