Young v. Smith
Filing
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ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Craig M. Kellison on 7/7/2016 DENYING plaintiff's 40 motion for the appointment of counsel; DENYING plaintiff's 35 motion for leave to file a supplemental amended complaint; GRANTING defendant Smith's 37 motion for an extension of time; and defendant Smith shall file a response to the first amended complaint within 60 days. (Yin, K)
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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CINDY CE CE YOUNG, formerly
known as Christopher Duke Young,
No. 2:15-CV-0733-TLN-CMK-P
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Plaintiff,
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vs.
ORDER
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CHRISTOPHER SMITH, et al.,
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Defendants.
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Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action pursuant to
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42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court are the following motions: (1) plaintiff’s motion for
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leave to file a supplemental complaint (Doc. 35); (2) plaintiff’s motion for appointment of
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counsel (Doc. 40); and (3) defendant Smith’s motion for an extension of time to file a response
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to the first amended complaint (Doc. 37).
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Plaintiff seeks the appointment of counsel. The United States Supreme Court has
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ruled that district courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in
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§ 1983 cases. See Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain
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exceptional circumstances, the court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to
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28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). See Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v.
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Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). A finding of “exceptional
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circumstances” requires an evaluation of both the likelihood of success on the merits and the
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ability of the plaintiff to articulate his claims on his own in light of the complexity of the legal
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issues involved. See Terrell, 935 F.2d at 1017. Neither factor is dispositive and both must be
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viewed together before reaching a decision. See id.
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In the present case, the court does not at this time find the required exceptional
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circumstances. First, plaintiff has demonstrated an ability to articulate her claims on her own.
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Second, the legal question involved – whether defendants were deliberately indifferent to a
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serious medical need – is not particularly complex. Finally, while plaintiff has articulated
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coherent claims and has the possibility of prevailing, the court cannot say at this early stage of the
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proceedings that plaintiff is likely to prevail on the merits. Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of
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counsel will be denied.
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Plaintiff also seeks leave of court to file a supplemental complaint. The Federal
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Rules of Civil Procedure provide that a party may amend or supplement his or her pleading once
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as a matter of course within 21 days of serving the pleading or, if the pleading is one to which a
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responsive pleading is required, within 21 days after service of the responsive pleading, see Fed.
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R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)(A), or within 21 days after service of a motion under Rule 12(b), (e), or (f) of
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the rules, whichever time is earlier, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)(B). In all other situations, a
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party’s pleadings may only be amended or supplemented upon leave of court or stipulation of all
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the parties. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). Where leave of court to amend is required and sought,
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the court considers the following factors: (1) whether there is a reasonable relationship between
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the original and amended/supplemental pleadings; (2) whether the grant of leave to
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amend/supplement is in the interest of judicial economy and will promote the speedy resolution
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of the entire controversy; (3) whether there was a delay in seeking leave to amend/supplement;
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(4) whether the grant of leave to amend/supplement would delay a trial on the merits of the
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original claim; and (5) whether the opposing party will be prejudiced by amendment/supplement.
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See Jackson v. Bank of Hawai’i, 902 F.2d 1385, 1387 (9th Cir. 1990). Leave to amend should be
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denied where the proposed amendment is frivolous. See DCD Programs, Ltd. v. Leighton, 833
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F.2d 183, 186 (9th Cir. 1987).
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In the present case, leave of court is required because plaintiff filed an amended
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complaint – the operative first amended complaint – as of right. Plaintiff now seeks to file a
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supplemental complaint alleging that, since this action was filed, the defendants have refused to
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provide her female clothing and cosmetics. According to plaintiff, these new claims were only
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exhausted through the prison grievance process in late 2015.
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Upon consideration of the factors above, the court finds that leave to file a
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supplemental complaint should not be granted. First, there is no reasonable relationship between
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the claims raised in the amended complaint – which relate to alleged deliberate indifference to
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serious medical needs arising from plaintiff’s gender dysphoria – and the proposed new claims.
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While the new claims are related to plaintiff’s gender dysphoria, they are not related legally to
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medical claims currently raised in the first amended complaint. Second, defendants would be
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prejudices by allowing the new claims to proceed in the current action. As plaintiff admits, the
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new claims were only exhausted in late 2015 – many years after this action was initiated.
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Because claims must be exhausted before suit is filed, allowing the new claims to be added to the
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current action would essentially defeat the purpose of the exhaustion requirement. Finally,
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allowing the new claims to proceed in this action would only serve to delay a resolution on the
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merits of plaintiff’s original medical claims.
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Defendant Smith seeks an extension of time to file a response to the first amended
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complaint. On March 30, 2016, the court extended the time to file a response to May 27, 2016.
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On April 11, 2016, plaintiff filed an interlocutory appeal of the court’s March 31, 2016, order.
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Defendant Smith’s current motion for an extension of time was filed on May 24, 2016 – while
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the appeal was still pending at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On June 13, 2016, the Ninth
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Circuit issued an order and mandate granting plaintiff’s motion for voluntary dismissal of the
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appeal. Jurisdiction having been returned to this court, and good cause appearing therefor,
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defendant Smith’s motion for an extension of time is granted, nunc pro tunc to May 24, 2016.
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Defendant Smith shall have 60 days from the date of this order to file a response to the first
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amended complaint. By separate order issued herewith, the court will direct service of process
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on the remaining defendants.
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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
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1.
Plaintiff’s motion for the appointment of counsel (Doc. 40) is denied;
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2.
Plaintiff’s motion for leave to file a supplemental complaint (Doc. 35) is
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Defendant Smith’s motion for an extension of time (Doc. 37) is granted;
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Defendant Smith shall file a response to the first amended complaint
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denied;
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and
within 60 days of the date of this order.
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DATED: July 7, 2016
______________________________________
CRAIG M. KELLISON
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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