Spearman v. Parson et al

Filing 29

ORDER Denying 27 Motion to Appoint Counsel - Signed by District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds. (LBar)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN DIVISION

RUFUS LAMAR SAVIN SPEARMAN,
Case No. 18-10673
Plaintiffs,
v.

Honorable Nancy G. Edmunds

MARY PARSON, ET. AL.,
Defendants.
/
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL [27]
Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s post-judgment motion for appointment of
counsel. (ECF No. 27.)

In the Sixth Circuit, parties do not have an “automatic”

constitutional right to counsel in a civil suit and, typically, counsel is only appointed in an
exceptional case. Glover v. Johnson, 75 F.3d 264, 268 (6th Cir. 1996) (observing that
courts in the Sixth Circuit do not appoint counsel for indigent and pro se prisoners in civil
rights cases absent truly extraordinary circumstances).

The Court has carefully

considered Plaintiff's request, the status and procedural posture of this case, his ability to
represent himself, the record as a whole, and the issues and complexity of this case, and
concludes that the appointment of counsel is not warranted because there are no
exceptional circumstances to justify appointing counsel. See Lavado v. Keohane, 992
F.2d 601, 606 (6th Cir. 1993); Mira v. Marshall, 806 F.2d 636, 638 (6th Cir. 1986).
Accordingly, Plaintiff's request for the Court to appoint him counsel is DENIED.
SO ORDERED.
s/Nancy G. Edmunds
Nancy G. Edmunds
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United States District Judge
Dated: October 22, 2020
I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was served upon counsel of record
on October 22, 2020, by electronic and/or ordinary mail.

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