Strickland v. Williams et al

Filing 24

ORDER - Plaintiff's Motion to Appoint Counsel 13 is denied. A separate order will be entered progressing this case to final disposition. Plaintiff's Motion for Status 20 is therefore denied as moot. Ordered by Judge Laurie Smith Camp.(Copy mailed to pro se party) (KBJ)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA JOHN P. STRICKLAND, Plaintiff, v. JANSEN J. WILLIAMS, Dr., KERRY CROPP, Nurse, DENNIS FRITZEN, Nurse, and JOHN DOES, Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. 4:08CV3081

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

This matter is before the court on Plaintiff's Motion to Appoint Counsel. (Filing No. 13.) The court cannot routinely appoint counsel in civil cases. In Davis v. Scott, 94 F.3d 444, 447 (8th Cir. 1996), the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals explained that "[i]ndigent civil litigants do not have a constitutional or statutory right to appointed counsel. . . . The trial court has broad discretion to decide whether both the plaintiff and the court will benefit from the appointment of counsel . . . ." Id. (quotation and citation omitted). No such benefit is apparent here. IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: 1. 2. Plaintiff's Motion to Appoint Counsel (Filing No. 13) is denied; and A separate order will be entered progressing this case to final disposition. Plaintiff's Motion for Status (Filing No. 20) is therefore denied as moot.

Dated this 7th day of October, 2008. BY THE COURT:

s/Laurie Smith Camp United States District Judge