Goff v. Gamez et al

Filing 72

ORDER DENYING Plaintiff's Motion for Appointment of Pro Bono Counsel Without Prejudice 67 , signed by Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean on 4/15/2019. (Hellings, J)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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THOMAS L. GOFF,
Plaintiff,

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v.

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GAMEZ, et al.,

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Case No. 1:15-cv-00937-AWI-EPG (PC)
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION
FOR APPOINTMENT OF PRO BONO
COUNSEL WITHOUT PREJUDICE
(ECF NO. 67)

Defendants.

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Thomas Goff (“Plaintiff”) is a former state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma
pauperis with this civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
On March 18, 2019, Plaintiff filed a motion for appointment of pro bono counsel. (ECF

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No. 67). Plaintiff once again asks for appointment of counsel because the physical and

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psychological injuries he suffered have caused him to be unable to proceed with this case, and so

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that he “may proceed within the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that is not currently

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available to Plaintiff.” (Id.)

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

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Rowland, 113 F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997), withdrawn in part on other grounds, 154 F.3d 952

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(9th Cir. 1998), and the Court cannot require an attorney to represent Plaintiff pursuant to 28
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U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Mallard v. United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa,

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490 U.S. 296, 298, 109 S.Ct. 1814, 1816 (1989). However, in certain exceptional circumstances

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the Court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to section 1915(e)(1). Rand,

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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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“exceptional circumstances exist, a 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 citation omitted).

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The Court will not order appointment of pro bono counsel at this time. The Court has

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reviewed the record in this case, and at this time the Court is unable to make a determination that

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Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits of his claims. Moreover, while there have been issues

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regarding Plaintiff’s compliance with local rules and this Court’s orders, it appears that Plaintiff

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can adequately articulate his claims.

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Plaintiff is advised that he is not precluded from renewing his motion for appointment of
pro bono counsel at a later stage of the proceedings.
For the foregoing reasons, IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of pro
bono counsel is DENIED without prejudice.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated:

April 15, 2019

/s/
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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