BRAGG v. MEO et al

Filing 40

Letter Opinion-Order denying motion for Pro Bono Counsel, Motions terminated: 38 MOTION to Appoint Pro Bono Counsel filed by YUSUF ABDULLAH MUHAMMAD.. Signed by Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion on 5/31/2018. (byl)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
CHAMBERS OF

STEVEN C. MANNION

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

May 31, 2018

MARTIN LUTHER KING
COURTHOUSE
50 WALNUT ST.
ROOM 2064
NEWARK, NJ 07101
973-645-3827

LETTER OPINION-ORDER
Re:

D.E. 38, Motion to Appoint Pro Bono Counsel
MUHAMMAD v. MEO et al
Civil Action 17-cv-05056 (JLL)(SCM)

Dear Litigants:
This matter comes before the Court upon review of Plaintiff Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad’s
(“Mr. Muhammad”) Motion to Appoint Pro Bono Counsel. 1 The Court has reviewed Mr. Muhammad’s
Motion and for the reasons set forth herein it is denied.
This Court denied Mr. Bragg’s previous motion for the appointment of pro bono counsel 2 after
analyzing the Tabron 3 factors. On January 26, 2018 Mr. Bragg filed petition for name change because
he legally changed his name to Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad. 4 This Court granted the petition and
ordered that the clerk of the court update the electronic docket to reflect Plaintiff’s name changed
from Mr. Bragg to Mr. Muhammad. 5 Mr. Muhammad’s second motion to appoint pro bono counsel
does not provide any new information that would change the Court’s analysis. Here, Mr. Muhammad
repeats the same arguments. Because Mr. Muhammad’s motion is duplicative of his prior motion, 6
the Court denies this motion for the same reasons it outlined in its Letter Order 7 on Mr. Muhammad’s
first motion.
The Court is, as always, sympathetic to any disadvantages of the parties that come before it.
Accordingly, the Court will closely monitor the considerations raised by Mr. Muhammad’s Motion for
Pro Bono Counsel throughout case management and, as the case moves forward, it may exercise its
1

(ECF Docket Entry No. (“D.E.”) 38, Pl.’s Mot. ).

2

(D.E. 22, Order, November 17, 2017).

3

Tabron v. Grace, 6 F.3d 147, 156 (3d Cir. 1993).

4

(D.E.

5

(D.E. 33, Order, February 1.2018).

6

(D.E. 8, Pl.’s Mot., August 8, 2017).

7

(D.E. 22).

32, Application/Petition, January 26, 2018).

discretion to appoint counsel sua sponte should any of the above discussed considerations change. 8
As the Tabron factors weigh against appointment for Mr. Wilson’s first motion, the Court will
deny Mr. Wilson’s second motion as well.
The Clerk of the Court is ordered to mail a copy of this Order to Mr. Muhammad.
IT SO ORDERED.

5/31/2018 3:06:21 PM

Original: Clerk of the Court
Hon. Jose L. Linares, U.S.D.J.
cc: All parties
YUSUF ABDULLAH MUHAMMAD
S.B.I. 430637B
#1102980
NEW JERSEY STATE PRISON
P.O. BOX 861
TRENTON, NJ 08625
PRO SE

8

See Tabron, 6 F.3d at 156; Christy, 216 F. Supp. 2d at 406.
2