Bettencourt v. Parks et al
Filing
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ORDER DENYING 53 Motion for Copies signed by Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe on 8/31/2020. (Jessen, A)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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GARY RAY BETTENCOURT,
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Plaintiff,
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v.
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Case No. 1:16-cv-00150-DAD-BAM (PC)
ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR COPIES
PARKER, et al.,
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(ECF No. 53)
Defendants.
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Plaintiff Gary Ray Bettencourt (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in
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forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This action proceeds on
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Plaintiff’s claims of deliberate indifference in violation of the Eighth Amendment against
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Defendant Crooks for pulling two teeth that did not need to be pulled, and against Defendants
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Parker and Guzman for filing down six healthy teeth with a dental tool used for drilling cavities.
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Defendants have returned executed waivers of service, and their answers or other responsive
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pleadings to the complaint are due on or before September 7, 2020. (ECF Nos. 50–52.)
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Currently before the Court is Plaintiff’s motion, filed August 28, 2020, where he appears
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to be seeking copies of all pleadings filed by the Attorney General in this action. (ECF No. 53.)
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Plaintiff states that due to COVID-19, at this time his institution’s law library is only open on
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occasion for legal copies, and only if inmates have a court order from a judge. Plaintiff states that
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he has been contacted by Deputy Attorney General Jason R. Cale—defense counsel in this
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action—by letter, requesting from Plaintiff copies of all dental records from 2014 to 2020, and
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copies of all documents, including the original complaint, pleadings, and motions. Plaintiff
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responded that all his dental files are privileged information and exempt from disclosure unless
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by court order, jury trial, or settlement conference. Plaintiff also responded that he cannot violate
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the Court’s order about discovery in good faith. (Id.)
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It is not clear to the Court what relief Plaintiff is seeking in this motion. Plaintiff is
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informed that, as Defendants have not yet responded to the complaint, the Court has not yet
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issued a discovery and scheduling order in this action, and discovery has not yet opened in this
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case. When the Court issues a discovery and scheduling order, that order will provide Plaintiff
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with additional information about how to proceed with discovery.
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If Plaintiff is requesting that the Court provide him with copies of documents filed by the
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Defendants in this case, Plaintiff is informed that, aside from the executed waivers of service,
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Defendants have not filed any documents. When Defendants file documents and motions with
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the Court, they will serve Plaintiff with his own copies, and it will be Plaintiff’s responsibility to
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keep those copies for his own use.
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In addition, Plaintiff is informed that the Clerk of the Court does not ordinarily provide
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free copies of case documents to parties, even those proceeding in forma pauperis. See Hullom v.
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Kent, 262 F.2d 862, 863 (6th Cir. 1959.) Plaintiff is responsible for maintaining his own records
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for this proceeding. Plaintiff is informed that the Clerk charges $0.50 per page for copies of
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documents. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(b). Copies of up to twenty pages may be made by the Clerk’s
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Office at this Court upon written request, prepayment of the copy fees, and submission of a large,
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self-addressed stamped envelope. Plaintiff should specifically identify which documents he
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wants copied.
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For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff’s motion for copies, (ECF No. 53), is HEREBY
DENIED.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated:
/s/ Barbara
August 31, 2020
A. McAuliffe
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UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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