Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_11-cv-00535/USCOURTS-caed-1_11-cv-00535-18/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Vera Brown
Defendant
J. Campbell
Defendant
Cohen
Defendant
Z. Dean
Defendant
J. Lopez
Defendant
Lamont Shepard
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LAMONT SHEPARD, 

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

COHEN, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:11-cv-00535-LJO-GSA-PC

ORDER DIRECTING UNITED STATES

MARSHAL TO INITIATE RE-SERVICE ON 

DEFENDANT COHEN USING 

ASSISTANCE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS 

DIVISION OF CDCR, AS INSTRUCTED 

BY THIS ORDER 

I. RELEVANT PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Lamont Shepard (APlaintiff@) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis 

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

commencing this action on March 30, 2011. (Doc. 1.) This action now proceeds on the 

Second Amended Complaint filed on May 19, 2014, against defendants Dr. Cohen, Sergeant J. 

Lopez, Correctional Officer (C/O) Z. Dean, C/O J. Campbell, and Vera Brown (LVN) on 

Plaintiff's due process claim, and against defendants Dr. Cohen, Sergeant J. Lopez, C/O Z. 

Dean, and C/O J. Campbell on Plaintiff's excessive force claim. (Doc. 41.) 

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On August 22, 2014, the court issued an order directing the United States Marshal 

(“Marshal”) to serve process upon defendants Brown and Cohen. (Doc. 54.) The address 

provided by Plaintiff for defendant Cohen was “C.S.P. Corcoran, P.O. Box 8800, Corcoran, 

California 93212.” (Doc. 78.) In the Court’s order, the Marshal was directed to:

Personally serve process and a copy of this order upon the 

defendant pursuant to Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure and 28 U.S.C. § 566(c), and shall command all 

necessary assistance from the California Department of 

Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to execute this order. The 

Marshals Service shall maintain the confidentiality of all 

information provided by CDCR pursuant to this order. In 

executing this order, the Marshals Service shall contact the Legal 

Affairs Division of CDCR and request the assistance of a Special 

Investigator if the Litigation Officer at the institution is unable to 

assist in identifying and/or locating defendants.

(Doc. 54 at 2 ¶4.) On May 26, 2015, the Marshal filed a return of service unexecuted as to 

defendant Cohen, indicating that the Marshal was unable to locate defendant Cohen for service 

of process. (Doc. 78.) 

On May 29, 2015, the Court issued an order to show cause, requiring Plaintiff to show 

cause, within thirty days, why defendant Cohen should not be dismissed from this action for 

Plaintiff’s failure to provide sufficient information for the Marshal to serve process. (Doc. 80.) 

On June 12, 2015, Plaintiff filed a response to the Court’s order. (Doc. 82.)

Plaintiff asserts that he does not know any address for defendant Dr. Cohen except for 

Dr. Cohen’s work address, which he provided to the Marshal. However, Plaintiff contends that 

the CDCR has defendant Cohen’s last known address, due to Cohen’s employment by the 

CDCR. Plaintiff requests assistance by the Court to obtain such information from the CDCR.

II. DISCUSSION

The return of service filed by the Marshal on May 26, 2015, indicates that on September 

26, 2014, the Marshal mailed service documents to defendant Cohen at Corcoran State Prison 

(“CSP”), at the address provided by Plaintiff. (Doc. 78.) There is no indication on the return of 

service that the Marshal received any response to the mail service. (Id.) The Marshal certified 

that he or she was unable to locate defendant Cohen, and made a notation, “5/26/15 Return 

Unexecuted, Unable to Locate.” (Id.) There is no indication that the Marshal contacted the 

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Legal Affairs Division of CDCR and requested the assistance of a Special Investigator in 

locating defendant Cohen.

Based on the information set forth in the USM-285 form, the Court cannot make a 

finding that Plaintiff has not provided sufficient information to locate this defendant. 

Therefore, the Marshal shall be directed to initiate re-service by contacting the Legal Affairs 

Division of the CDCR for assistance in locating and effecting service on defendant Dr. Cohen. 

III. CONCLUSION

Accordingly, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(c), it is HEREBY 

ORDERED that:

1. The Clerk of the Court is directed to forward the following documents to the 

United States Marshals Service:

(1) One completed and issued summons for defendant Cohen;

(2) One completed USM-285 form for defendant Cohen;

(3) One copy of the Second Amended Complaint filed on May 19, 

2014, plus an extra copy for the Marshal (Doc. 41.); and

(4) One copy of this order, plus an extra copy for the Marshal.

2. Within ten days from the date of this order, the Marshals Service shall contact 

the Legal Affairs Division of CDCR and request the assistance of a Special 

Investigator to assist in identifying and/or locating the defendant. The 

Marshals Service shall command all necessary assistance from the 

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to 

execute this order. The Marshals Service shall maintain the confidentiality of 

all information provided by the CDCR pursuant to this order. The Marshals 

Service shall notify the following defendant of the commencement of this action 

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and request a waiver of service in accordance with the provisions of Fed. R. Civ. 

P. 4(d) and 28 U.S.C. ' 566(c):

DR. COHEN, M.D. (employee of CDCR at Corcoran 

State Prison in Corcoran, California, on December 13, 

2008)

3. The Marshals Service shall file a returned waiver of service as well as any 

request for waiver of service that is returned as undelivered as soon as it is 

received.

4. If a waiver of service is not returned by the defendant within sixty days of the 

date of mailing the request for waiver, the Marshals Service shall:

a. Personally serve process and a copy of this order upon the defendant 

pursuant to Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and 28 U.S.C. 

' 566(c).

b. Within ten days after personal service is effected, the Marshals Service 

shall file the return of service for the defendant, along with evidence of 

any attempts to secure a waiver of service of process and of the costs 

subsequently incurred in effecting service on said defendant. Said costs 

shall be enumerated on the USM-285 form and shall include the costs 

incurred by the Marshals Service for photocopying additional copies of 

the summons and complaint and for preparing new USM-285 forms, if 

required. Costs of service will be taxed against the personally served 

defendant in accordance with the provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(2).

5. If defendant waives service, he is required to return the signed waivers to 

the Marshals Service. The filing of an answer or a responsive motion does 

not relieve defendants of this requirement, and the failure to return the 

signed waivers may subject defendants to an order to pay the costs of 

service pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(2).

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6. In the event that defendants either waive service or are personally served, 

defendants are required to reply to the complaint. 42 U.S.C. ' 1997e(g)(2).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 9, 2015 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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