Opinion ID: 8278
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: District Court's failure to appoint an expert witness

Text: 9 Pedraza argues that the district court erred in refusing to appoint an expert witness because, without the assistance of an expert witness, indigent prison inmates cannot raise these types of claims. He asserts that the Fifth Circuit has awarded expert witness fees in many cases in recognition of counsel's need for experts' assistance. See Copper Liquor, Inc. v. Adolph Coors Co., 684 F.2d 1087, 1100 (5th Cir.1982); Berry v. McLemore, 670 F.2d 30, 34 (5th Cir.1982); Jones v. Diamond, 636 F.2d 1364, 1382 (5th Cir.) (en banc), cert. dismissed, 453 U.S. 950, 102 S.Ct. 27, 69 L.Ed.2d 1033 (1981). 3 10 This Court has not addressed the issue of whether expert witnesses can be appointed to assist a plaintiff proceeding under the in forma pauperis (IFP) statute, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915. The Supreme Court has held that expenditure of public funds [on behalf of an indigent litigant] is proper only when authorized by Congress. United States v. MacCollom, 426 U.S. 317, 321, 96 S.Ct. 2086, 2089, 48 L.Ed.2d 666 (1976). The plain language of section 1915 does not provide for the appointment of expert witnesses to aid an indigent litigant. 11 In Boring v. Kozakiewicz, 833 F.2d 468 (3d Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 991, 108 S.Ct. 1298, 99 L.Ed.2d 508 (1988), the Third Circuit held that section 1915 makes no provision for a district court to either pay or waive fees for an expert witness. Id. at 474. The court concluded that in these circumstances we cannot fault the district court for not exercising a power it did not possess. Id. 4 We agree. Because the district court has no authority to appoint an expert witness under section 1915, the district court did not err in refusing to appoint an expert witness to help Pedraza create a fact issue concerning whether heroin withdrawal can cause an individual to become of unsound mind. 5