Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00603/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00603-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Medina
Defendant
Brandon Rackliffe
Plaintiff
Rocha
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BRANDON RACKLIFFE,

Plaintiff,

v.

C.O. ROCHA, et al.,

Defendants.

 /

CASE NO. 1:07-cv-00603-AWI-DLB PC

ORDER FINDING SERVICE OF COMPLAINT

APPROPRIATE, AND DIRECTING PLAINTIFF

TO EFFECT SERVICE OF PROCESS WITHIN

ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS

(Doc. 1)

I. Order Directing Plaintiff to Initiate Service of Process

Plaintiff Brandon Rackliffe (“plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se in this civil

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff filed this action on April 20, 2007. The

Court has screened Plaintiff’s complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A and finds that Plaintiff’s

complaint states a cognizable claim for relief under section 1983 against Defendants Rocha and

Medina (“Defendants”) for use of excessive physical force, in violation of the Eighth

Amendment.

Plaintiff paid the filing fee in full for initiating this action. Because Plaintiff is not

proceeding in forma pauperis, it is Plaintiff’s responsibility to effect service of the summons and

complaint on Defendants Rocha and Medina. The Clerk of the Court will be directed to issue

two summonses to Plaintiff for the purpose of service of process. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4.

Plaintiff shall complete service of process in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 4 within one-hundred twenty (120) days from the date of service of this order. 

///

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Plaintiff shall serve a copy of this order on each defendant together with a copy of the summons

and complaint. The following two sections contain instructions on how to serve Defendants. 

A. Waiver of Service

Pursuant to Rule 4(d)(2), Plaintiff may (but is not required to) notify Defendants Rocha

and Medina of the commencement of this action and request that they waive service of the

summons. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(2). If Plaintiff wishes to do this, he must mail each defendant (1)

the form entitled “Notice of Lawsuit and Request for Waiver of Service for Summons,” (2) the

form entitled “Waiver of Service of Summons,” and (3) a copy of the complaint. The documents

must be addressed directly to each defendant (not the Attorney General’s Office) and must be

dispatched (mailed) through first-class mail. The Waiver of Service of Summons form must set

forth the date on which the request is sent and must allow each defendant at least thirty (30) days

in which to return the waiver to Plaintiff. If Defendants sign and return the waiver forms to

Plaintiff, Plaintiff must then file the forms with the Court. After filing the forms with the Court,

Plaintiff need not take any further steps to serve Defendants. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(4).

B. Personal Service

If either (1) Plaintiff does not wish to request Defendants to waive service or (2) one or

more of the defendants fail to return the Waiver of Service of Summons form to Plaintiff,

Plaintiff must have personal service effected on Defendants. Each defendant must be personally

served with a summons and copy of the complaint, along with a copy of this order. Plaintiff may

not effect personal service himself. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c). Service may be effected by any person

who is not a party to this action and who is at least eighteen years old. Id. The Court will

provide Plaintiff with 

a copy of Rule 4 along with this order. Plaintiff should review Rule 4(e)(2), which addresses

how personal service may be effected. 

C. Conclusion

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The Clerk of the Court is directed to issue and send Plaintiff two (2) summonses. 

2. The Clerk is further directed to send Plaintiff:

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a) One (1) copy of the complaint filed April 20, 2007;

b) One (1) copy of the form entitled “Notice of Lawsuit and Request for

Waiver of Service of Summons;”

c) One (1) copy of the form entitled “Waiver of Service;” 

d) One (1) copy of the form entitled “Consent to Proceed Before United

States Magistrate Judge” with instructions; and 

e) One (1) copy of Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

3. Plaintiff shall complete service of process on Defendants Rocha and Medina

within one-hundred twenty (120) days from the date of service of this order. 

Plaintiff shall serve a copy of this order and a copy of the form “Consent to

Proceed Before United States Magistrate Judge” on Defendants at the time of

service of the summons and complaint. 

4. Plaintiff’s failure to timely complete service of the complaint on Defendants

Rocha and Medina may result in dismissal of this action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m).

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: November 20, 2007 /s/ Dennis L. Beck 

3c0h UNITED STA j8 TES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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