Coutts v. Kearney County, Nebraska et al
Filing
13
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER - Plaintiff's Motion to Appoint Counsel (Filing No. 12 ) is denied without prejudice to reassertion. Ordered by Senior Judge Richard G. Kopf. (Copy mailed to pro se party)(GJG)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
JAMES A. COUTTS,
Plaintiff,
V.
KEARNEY COUNTY, NEBRASKA,
SHERIFF SCOTT WHITE, DEPUTY
SHANE MONTHEY, DEPUTY
COREY ZIOLA, and DEPUTY
JUSTIN GLANZER,
Defendants.
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8:16CV121
MEMORANDUM
AND ORDER
Plaintiff has filed a motion (Filing No. 12) seeking the appointment of counsel.
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.” Trial courts have “broad discretion to decide whether both the plaintiff and
the court will benefit from the appointment of counsel, taking into account the factual
and legal complexity of the case, the presence or absence of conflicting testimony, and
the plaintiff’s ability to investigate the facts and present his claim.” Id. Having
considered these factors, the request for the appointment of counsel will be denied
without prejudice to reassertion.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that: Plaintiff’s Motion to Appoint Counsel
(Filing No. 12) is denied without prejudice to reassertion.
DATED this 28th day of June, 2016.
BY THE COURT:
s/ Richard G. Kopf
Senior United States District Judge
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