Presas v. Kern Medical Center et al

Filing 26

ORDER DENYING Motion for Library Access 23 , signed by Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto on 1/6/15. (Hellings, J)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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COSME PRESAS,

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Plaintiff,

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Case No. 1:13-cv-02038-LJO-SKO (PC)
ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR LAW
LIBRARY ACCESS

v.

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(Doc. 23)
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KERN MEDICAL CENTER, et al.,

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Defendants.
_____________________________________/

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Plaintiff Cosme Presas, a prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed this civil

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17 rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on December 13, 2013. On December 22, 2014,
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18 Plaintiff filed a motion seeking an order granting him law library access.

The Court lacks jurisdiction to issue an order requiring Kern County jail personnel to allow

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20 Plaintiff law library access. See 18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(1)(A); Summers v. Earth Island Institute,
21 555 U.S. 488, 493, 129 S.Ct. 1142, 1149 (2009); Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555,
22 559-61, 112 S.Ct. 2130 (1992); Mayfield v. United States, 599 F.3d 964, 969 (9th Cir. 2010). In
23 addition, while prisoners have a constitutional right of access to the courts, Lewis v. Casey, 518
24 U.S. 343, 346, 116 S.Ct. 2174 (1996); Silva v. Di Vittorio, 658 F.3d 1090, 1101 (9th Cir. 2011);
25 Phillips v. Hust, 588 F.3d 652, 655 (9th Cir. 2009), the pendency of an action does not entitle
26 Plaintiff to any particular form of access, Lewis, 518 U.S. at 351. Rather, how jail staff elects to
27 accommodate inmates’ overarching constitutional right of access to the court rests in the first
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At this stage in the proceedings, Plaintiff’s amended complaint is pending statutory screening. 28 U.S.C. §1915A.

1 instance with staff. Lewis, 518 U.S. at 351; Silva, 658 F.3d at 1101-02; Phillips, 588 F.3d at 6552 57.
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Accordingly, the Court lacks the jurisdiction to issue the order sought by Plaintiff and his

4 motion is HEREBY ORDERED DENIED.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated:

January 6, 2015

/s/ Sheila K. Oberto
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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