Ward v. Ives et al

Filing 28

ORDER denying 27 Motion to Appoint Counsel signed by Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan on 05/13/13. (Plummer, M)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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JOHN C. WARD,
Plaintiff,

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vs.

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No. 2:11-cv-1657 GEB EFB P

RICHARD IVES, et al.,
Defendants.

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ORDER
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Plaintiff is a federal prisoner proceeding in this civil action. He requests that the court

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appoint counsel. District courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners

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in section 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In

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exceptional circumstances, the court may request an attorney to voluntarily to represent such a

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plaintiff. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1); Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991);

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Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). When determining whether

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“exceptional circumstances” exist, the court must consider the likelihood of success on the

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merits as well as 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. Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2009).

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Having considered those factors, the court finds there are no exceptional circumstances in this

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case.
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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s request for appointment of

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counsel, Dckt. No. 27, is denied.

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DATED: May 13, 2013.

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