Blanck, Walter v. Mil. FBI et al

Filing 91

ORDER that the clerk of court is directed to set a preliminary pretrial conference before Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker to set the schedule for the remainder of the proceedings in these lawsuits. Signed by District Judge James D. Peterson on 4/28/2016. (jef),(ps)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN

WALTER BLANCK,
Plaintiff,
v.
ORDER
WARDEN BAENEN, DR. SUMNICHT,
NURSE LEMON, SGT. LAUFENBERG,
SUPERVISOR BEVERLY, and
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER MCDONALD,

13-cv-193-jdp

Defendants.
WALTER BLANCK,
Plaintiff,
v.
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER VERDEGEN,

ORDER
14-cv-135-jdp

Defendant.
Plaintiff Walter Blanck is a prisoner at the Green Bay Correctional Institution. In case
no. 13-cv-193-jdp, plaintiff brings Eighth Amendment deliberate indifference and First
Amendment retaliation claims against defendant prison officials for failing to properly treat
his heart and lung disease and severe arthritis, and intentionally keeping him in hot
conditions that exacerbate his problems. In case no. 14-cv-135-jdp, plaintiff brings claims
that defendant Correctional Officer Verdegen failed to protect him from assault and
encouraged assaults against him. I stayed the ’193 case pending recruitment of counsel. See
Dkt. 79 in the ’193 case. Although I concluded that it was not necessary to recruit counsel to
assist plaintiff with his relatively straightforward claims in the ’135 case, I stayed that case as
well pending recruitment of counsel in the ’193 case so that recruited counsel could

determine whether he or she would be amendable to representing plaintiff in both matters.
Id.
The court has successfully located counsel for plaintiff. William E. Parsons of the law
firm Hawks Quindel, S.C. has agreed to represent plaintiff, with the understanding that he
will serve with no guarantee of compensation for his services. It is this court’s intention that
the scope of Attorney Parsons’s representation extends to proceedings in this court only.1 If
plaintiff decides at some point not to work with this lawyer, he is free to end the
representation, but plaintiff should be aware that it is unlikely that the court will recruit a
second lawyer to represent him. A preliminary pretrial conference will be scheduled, at which
time a schedule for the remainder of both of plaintiff’s cases will be set. After meeting with
plaintiff, Attorney Parsons should inform the court whether he will be taking on
representation of plaintiff in both cases. If not, plaintiff will have to litigate that case himself.

ORDER
IT IS ORDERED that the clerk of court is directed to set a preliminary pretrial
conference before Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker to set the schedule for the remainder of
the proceedings in these lawsuits.
Entered April 28, 2016.
BY THE COURT:
/s/
________________________________________
JAMES D. PETERSON
District Judge
1

“Proceedings in this court” include all matters leading up to a final judgment on the merits,
the filing of a notice of appeal, if appropriate, and ensuring that all steps are taken to transfer
the record to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

2