Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-05938/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-05938-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Naomi Castillo-Ramirez
Plaintiff
County of Sonoma
Defendant
Maricela Ramirez
Plaintiff

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NAOMI CASTILLO-RAMIREZ,

Plaintiff,

v.

COUNTY OF SONOMA, and DOES 1 to

100, INCLUSIVE,

Defendants.

___________________________________/

No. C-09-5938 EMC

ORDER DENYING RAMIREZ’S

MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF

COUNSEL

(Docket No. 28)

Pro per plaintiff Naomi Castillo-Ramirez, through her proposed guardian ad litem Maricela

Ramirez, brought this civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Defendants County of

Sonoma and Does 1 to 100, alleging that they violated her father’s civil rights during his

incarceration at the county jail. Currently pending before the Court is Ms. Ramirez’s motion asking

that counsel be appointed for Ms. Castillo-Ramirez. The Court hereby DENIES the request for

relief.

First, the request for relief is improper because, as the Court has previously noted, Ms.

Ramirez has not yet been appointed next friend or guardian ad litem for Ms. Castillo-Ramirez and

therefore she cannot make a request for relief on Ms. Castillo-Ramirez’s behalf. 

Second, even if Ms. Ramirez had been appointed such, the request for relief would still be

improper because, as the Court has previously explained, “a parent or guardian cannot bring an

action on behalf of a minor child without retaining a lawyer.” Johns v. County of San Diego, 114

F.3d 874, 877 (9th Cir. 1997). Ms. Ramirez has not obtained any lawyer.

Case 3:09-cv-05938-EMC Document 34 Filed 04/27/10 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Finally, even if the Court were to construe the pending motion as a motion made by Ms.

Ramirez asking for appointment of counsel for herself (as next friend or guardian ad litem), the

Court would still deny the motion. A district court may appoint counsel for an indigent § 1983

litigant only under limited circumstances. See Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir.

1991). This “requires an evaluation of both the likelihood of success on the merits and the ability of

the petitioner to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved.” 

Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). In the instant case, Ms. Ramirez has made no attempt to

establish the likelihood of success on the merits. Furthermore, she has not shown that the case is

particularly complex.

Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, the Court hereby DENIES the motion for

appointment of counsel. That denial is without prejudice to a properly appointed guardian making a

sufficient showing for appointment of counsel. The hearing on the motion for appointment of

counsel is hereby VACATED.

This order disposes of Docket No. 28.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 27, 2010 _________________________ EDWARD M. CHEN

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 3:09-cv-05938-EMC Document 34 Filed 04/27/10 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NAOMI CASTILLO-RAMIREZ,

Plaintiff,

v.

COUNTY OF SONOMA, and DOES 1 to

100, INCLUSIVE,

Defendants.

___________________________________/

No. C-09-5938 EMC

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the U.S. District Court, Northern

District of California. On the below date, I served a true and correct copy of the attached, by placing

said copy/copies in a postage-paid envelope addressed to the person(s) listed below, by depositing

said envelope in the U.S. Mail; or by placing said copy/copies into an inter-office delivery

receptacle located in the Office of the Clerk.

Naomi Castillo-Ramirez 

2113 W. Steele Lane 

Santa Rosa, CA 95403 

707-568-0348 

PRO SE

Maricela Ramirez 

2113 W. Steele Lane 

Santa Rosa, CA 95403 

PRO SE

Dated: April 27, 2010 RICHARD W. WIEKING, CLERK

By: /s/ Leni Doyle 

Leni Doyle

Deputy Clerk

Case 3:09-cv-05938-EMC Document 34 Filed 04/27/10 Page 3 of 3