Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01913/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01913-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Orlando Payne
Petitioner
D. Sisto
Respondent
K. Telford
Respondent

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ORLANDO PAYNE,

Petitioner, No. CIV S-07-1913 WBS EFB P

vs.

D. SISTO, Warden, et al.,

Respondents. ORDER

 /

Petitioner is a state prisoner without counsel seeking a writ of habeas corpus. See 28

U.S.C. § 2254. 

In his petition, petitioner claims that K. Telford, a Correctional Counselor who is also

named as respondent, has placed false reports in petitioner’s central file which accused petitioner

of promoting gang activity and manufacturing weapons. He claims that these reports have

caused him to suffer a longer disciplinary term and have put his life in danger. Petitioner seeks

an injunction to stop K. Telford from placing false information in his central file. 

As a general rule, a challenge in federal court to the fact of conviction or the length of

confinement must be raised in a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 

See Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475 (1973). A civil rights action, on the other hand, is

appropriate for challenges to the conditions of an inmate’s confinement. Id. at 499. Petitioner

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seeks injunctive relief relating to conditions of his confinement, i.e., the filing of false reports

into his central file. For the foregoing reasons, the petition is dismissed with leave to amend.

Petitioner may file an amended petition seeking relief from the fact or duration of his

confinement, or he may file instead a complaint in a civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C.

1983, alleging violations of his constitutional rights and seeking injunctive relief therefrom. 

Petitioner has requested that the court appoint counsel. There currently exists no

absolute right to appointment of counsel in habeas proceedings. See Nevius v. Sumner, 105 F.3d

453, 460 (9th Cir. 1996). Further, should petitioner elect to file a civil rights complaint as

suggested by the court, 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 counsel voluntarily to represent such a

plaintiff. 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). The court finds that there are no

exceptional circumstances in this case. The court may appointment counsel at any stage of the

proceedings “if the interests of justice so require.” See 18 U.S.C. § 3006A; see also, Rule 8(c),

Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases. The court does not find that the interests of justice would

be served by the appointment of counsel at this stage of the proceedings. 

Petitioner seeks leave to proceed in forma pauperis. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). The court

will defer ruling on petitioner’s in forma pauperis application until such time as petitioner has

filed either an amended petition or a civil complaint. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The petition is dismissed;

2. Petitioner is granted a period of 30 days from the date this order is served in which to

file either an amended petition or a civil rights action. The Clerk of the Court is directed to send

to petitioner a copy each of the forms used in this court for the filing of an application for a writ

of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 and for the filing of a civil complaint pursuant to

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42 U.S.C. § 1983. 

3. Petitioner’s September 14, 2007, and October 2, 2007, requests for appointment of

counsel are denied without prejudice; and

4. The court defers ruling on petitioner’s application to proceed in forma pauperis until

such time as petitioner files an amended petition or a civil complaint. 

Dated: October 11, 2007.

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