Young v. Lee et al

Filing 72

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney on 12/4/2020 DENYING without counsel plaintiff's 68 request for the appointment of counsel. (Yin, K)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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RONNIE G. YOUNG,

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No. 2:17-cv-2596 TLN CKD P

Plaintiff,
v.

ORDER

LEE, et al.,
Defendants.

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Plaintiff is a former county inmate now in state custody who is proceeding pro se in this

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civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff requests that the court appoint

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counsel. District courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in section

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

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circumstances, the court may request an attorney to voluntarily represent such a plaintiff. See 28

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U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1); 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). When determining whether “exceptional

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circumstances” exist, the court must consider plaintiff’s likelihood of success on the merits as

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well as the ability of the plaintiff to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the

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legal issues involved. Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2009) (district court did not

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abuse discretion in declining to appoint counsel). The burden of demonstrating exceptional

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circumstances is on the plaintiff. Id. Circumstances common to most prisoners, such as lack of

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legal education and limited law library access, do not establish exceptional circumstances that
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warrant a request for voluntary assistance of counsel.
Having considered the factors under Palmer, the court finds that plaintiff has failed to

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meet his burden of demonstrating exceptional circumstances warranting the appointment of

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counsel at this time.

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

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counsel (ECF No. 68) is denied without prejudice.

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Dated: December 4, 2020

_____________________________________
CAROLYN K. DELANEY
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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12/youn2596.31(5).docx

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