Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-05122/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-05122-11/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
John D. Lambertson
Plaintiff
G. D. Lewis
Defendant

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN D. LAMBERTSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

G. D. LEWIS,

Defendant.

Case No. 12-cv-05122-JD 

ORDER TO SEND PLAINTIFF 

TWO SUBPOENAS; DENYING 

MOTION FOR CONTEMPT

Re: Dkt. No. 69

Plaintiff, a state prisoner, proceeds with a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 

1983. Plaintiff alleges that three Doe defendants failed to protect him from an assault by other 

inmates. While this claim is sufficient to proceed plaintiff must provide the identities of the 

defendants for service. Plaintiff was informed that he may seek such information through the 

California Public Records Act or any other means available such as seeking reports from his 

central file concerning the incident. Plaintiff was also sent Court document subpoenas with 

instructions. Plaintiff was informed that he should fill out the subpoenas and return them to the 

Court so that the Clerk may issue the subpoena and the Marshal may serve it on the subpoenaed 

party. Plaintiff needs to fill in all of the necessary information, but must leave the signature line 

blank so that the Clerk may sign it. This is because as a pro se litigant, plaintiff needs the Court’s 

Clerk to issue a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(a)(3). 

Plaintiff has not returned the subpoenas to the Court but he did send to a non-party a 

subpoena to testify at a deposition that was unsigned by the Court’s Clerk. Plaintiff also stated 

that the non-party should produce certain documents at the deposition.1 Plaintiff’s motion to 

 

1 He may have also sent document subpoenas that were unsigned by the Court’s Clerk. 

Case 3:12-cv-05122-JD Document 72 Filed 08/30/16 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

depose the non-party was denied. Plaintiff’s pending motion to hold the non-party in contempt 

(Docket No. 69) is denied as meritless.

The Court will send plaintiff two more document subpoenas to obtain the records he seeks. 

Plaintiff must follow the instructions below. Plaintiff must not send the subpoena directly to 

any party. He must fill out the forms and return them the Court. The subpoenas are to obtain 

documents, they are not for any person to appear or testify at a deposition.

CONCLUSION

1. Plaintiff’s motion for contempt (Docket No. 69) is DENIED. 

2. As a pro se litigant, plaintiff needs the Court’s Clerk to issue a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ.

P. 45(a)(3). Therefore, the Clerk shall send to plaintiff 2 blank document subpoena forms

(subpoena duces tecum) for plaintiff to fill out and return to the Court so that the Clerk may issue 

the subpoena and the Marshal may serve it on the subpoenaed party. Plaintiff needs to fill in all of 

the necessary information, but must leave the signature line blank so that the Clerk may sign it.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 30, 2016

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN D. LAMBERTSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

G. D. LEWIS,

Defendant.

Case No. 12-cv-05122-JD 

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 30, 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.

John D. Lambertson ID: V92821

Kern Valley State Prison

P.O. Box 5103

Delano, CA 93216 

Dated: August 30, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

LISA R. CLARK, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JAMES DONATO

Case 3:12-cv-05122-JD Document 72 Filed 08/30/16 Page 3 of 3