Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-00468/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-00468-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jamal Easterling
Plaintiff
Erwin
Defendant

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMAL EASTERLING,

Plaintiff,

v.

ERWIN,

Defendant.

Case No. 16-cv-00468-JCS (PR) 

ORDER RE: DIRECTIONS TO 

PLAINTIFF;

VACATING BRIEFING SCHEDULE

This order provides instructions to plaintiff regarding service of his complaint.

The sole defendant in this action, Dr. Erwin, remains unserved, his summons having 

been returned as unexecuted. (Docket No. 9.) Salinas Valley State Prison authorities state 

that no one named Erwin works for the prison or is employed there under contract. (Id.) 

Plaintiff is directed to comply with the following. He must provide the Court with 

Erwin’s current address so that the complaint can be served on him. In cases where the 

plaintiff proceeds in forma pauperis, “officers of the court shall issue and serve all 

process.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d). The Court must appoint the Marshal to effect service, see

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2), and the Marshal, upon order of the Court, must serve the summons 

and the complaint, see Walker v. Sumner, 14 F.3d 1415, 1422 (9th Cir. 1994). Although a 

plaintiff who is incarcerated and proceeding in forma pauperis may rely on service by the 

Marshal, the plaintiff “may not remain silent and do nothing to effectuate such service”; 

rather, “[a]t a minimum, a plaintiff should request service upon the appropriate defendant 

and attempt to remedy any apparent defects of which [he] has knowledge.” Rochon v. 

Dawson, 828 F.2d 1107, 1110 (5th Cir. 1987). 

Here, plaintiff’s complaint has been pending for over 120 days, and, consequently, 

Case 3:16-cv-00468-WHA Document 10 Filed 08/04/16 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

absent a showing of “good cause,” is subject to dismissal without prejudice as to the 

unserved defendant, Erwin. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m). Because plaintiff has not provided 

sufficient information to allow the Marshal to locate and serve this defendant, plaintiff 

must remedy the situation or face dismissal of his claims against Erwin. See Walker, 14 

F.3d at 1421–22 (holding prisoner failed to show cause why prison official should not be 

dismissed under Rule 4(m) where prisoner failed to show he had provided Marshal with 

sufficient information to effectuate service). 

Accordingly, plaintiff must either himself serve the unserved defendant with the 

summons and complaint, or provide the Court with the information described above so that 

the Marshal is able to serve such defendants. If plaintiff fails to effectuate service, or to 

provide the Court with an accurate current location or other information for the 

defendant on or before September 5, 2016, plaintiff’s claims against the unserved 

defendant will be dismissed without prejudice pursuant to Rule 4(m) of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure.

The current briefing schedule, which directed that defendant file a dispositive 

motion by July 18, 2016, is VACATED. When the defendant has been served, the Court 

will set a new briefing schedule. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 4, 2016

_________________________

JOSEPH C. SPERO

 Chief Magistrate Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMAL EASTERLING,

Plaintiff,

v.

ERWIN,

Defendant.

Case No. 16-cv-00468-JCS 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California.

That on August 4, 2016, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing 

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by 

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery 

receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Jamal Easterling ID: F-41722 C1-2266

Salinas Valley State Prison

P.O. Box 1050

Soledad, CA 93960 

Dated: August 4, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Karen Hom, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JOSEPH C. SPERO

Case 3:16-cv-00468-WHA Document 10 Filed 08/04/16 Page 3 of 3