Chavez v. Kings County et al

Filing 69

ORDER DENYING 68 Motion to Appoint Counsel signed by Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto on 1/12/2017. (Sant Agata, S)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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1:13-cv-00342-SKO (PC)

JUAN CHAVEZ,
Plaintiff,
v.
KINGS COUNTY, et al.,

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR
APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL
(Doc. 68)

Defendant.

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On January 11, 2017, plaintiff filed a motion seeking the appointment of counsel.

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Plaintiff does not have a constitutional right to appointed counsel in this action, Rand v. Rowland,

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113 F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997), and the court cannot require an attorney to represent

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plaintiff pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 1915(e)(1). Mallard v. United States District Court for the

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Southern District of Iowa, 490 U.S. 296, 298, 109 S.Ct. 1814, 1816 (1989). However, in certain

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exceptional circumstances the court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to

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section 1915(e)(1). Rand, 113 F.3d at 1525.

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Without a reasonable method of securing and compensating counsel, the court will seek

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volunteer counsel only in the most serious and exceptional cases. In determining whether

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Aexceptional circumstances exist, the district court must evaluate both the likelihood of success of

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the merits [and] the ability of the [plaintiff] to articulate his claims pro se in light of the

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complexity of the legal issues involved.@ Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
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In the present case, the court does not find the required exceptional circumstances. Even

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if it is assumed that plaintiff is not well versed in the law and that he has made serious allegations

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which, if proved, would entitle him to relief, his case is not exceptional. This court is faced with

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similar cases almost daily. Further, at this early stage in the proceedings, the court cannot make a

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determination that plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits, and based on a review of the record

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in this case, the court does not find that plaintiff cannot adequately articulate his claims. Id.
For the foregoing reasons, plaintiff=s motion for the appointment of counsel is HEREBY

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DENIED, without prejudice.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated:

January 12, 2017

/s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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Sheila K. Oberto

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.