Jones v. Fox, et al.

Filing 57

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan on 7/10/18 DENYING 45 Motion to Appoint Counsel. (Plummer, M)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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KEVIN JONES,

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No. 2:17-cv-2190-JAM-EFB P
Plaintiff,

v.

ORDER

FOX, et al.,

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Defendants.

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Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel in an action brought under 42

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U.S.C. § 1983. He has again requested that the court appoint counsel. As plaintiff was

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previously informed, see ECF No. 32, district courts lack authority to require counsel to represent

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indigent prisoners in section 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298

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(1989). In exceptional circumstances, the court may request an attorney to voluntarily to

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represent such a plaintiff. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1); Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017

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(9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). When

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determining whether “exceptional circumstances” exist, the court must consider the likelihood of

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success on the merits as well as the ability of the plaintiff to articulate his claims pro se in light of

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the 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 still finds there are no exceptional circumstances in

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

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counsel (ECF No. 45) is denied.

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DATED: July 10, 2018.

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