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Gordon v. Unknown Officer 1

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Dec 16, 2011
CASE NUMBER 11 C 5784 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 16, 2011)

Opinion

CASE NUMBER 11 C 5784

12-16-2011

Kenneth Gordon (#2010-0613144) v. Unknown Officer 1, et al.


Name of Assigned Judge

or Magistrate Judge


Sitting Judge if Other

than Assigned Judge

DOCKET ENTRY TEXT:

The clerk is directed to: (1) file the amended complaint; (2) terminate the "Un-Known Officer" defendants; (3) add Steven Silich, Jody Weis, and W. Rigar, Jr. as defendants; (3) issue summonses for service on the defendants by the U.S. Marshal; and (4) send the plaintiff a Magistrate Judge Consent Form and Instructions for Submitting Documents along with a copy of this order. The plaintiff's motion for appointment of counsel [#4] is denied.

¦ [For further details see text below.]

Docketing to mail notices.

STATEMENT

The plaintiff, an inmate in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections, has brought this pro se civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiff claims that Chicago police officers violated the plaintiff's constitutional rights by using unjustified force against him. More specifically, the plaintiff alleges that after police questioned him as he sat in his car, they suddenly—and for no reason--maced him, dragged him from his truck, and then beat and kicked him.

As directed, the plaintiff has submitted an amended complaint naming supervisory officials and assisting officers who may be in a position to assist the plaintiff in identifying the John Doe defendants. The Clerk shall issue summonses forthwith for service on defendants Silich, Weis, and Riga.

The United States Marshals Service is appointed to serve the defendants. Any service forms necessary for the plaintiff to complete will be sent by the Marshal as appropriate to serve the defendants with process. The U.S. Marshal is directed to make all reasonable efforts to serve the defendants. The Marshal is authorized to mail a request for waiver of service to the defendants in the manner prescribed by FED. R. CIV. P. 4(d)(2) before attempting personal service. The plaintiff is once again advised that he must identify the John Does as soon as possible to avoid any statute of limitations issues. See Worthington v. Wilson, 8 F.3d 1253, 1256-57 (7th Cir. 1993); see also Wood v. Worachek, 618 F.2d 1225, 1230 (7th Cir. 1980)

The plaintiff's motion for appointment of counsel is denied. There is no constitutional or statutory right to counsel in federal civil cases. Romanelli v. Suliene, 615 F.3d 847, 851 (2010); see also Johnson v. Doughty, 433 F.3d 1001, 1006 (7th Cir. 2006). Nevertheless, the district court has discretion under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1) to request counsel for an indigent litigant. Pruitt v. Mote, 503 F.3d 647, 654 (7th Cir. 2007), citing Johnson, 433 F.3d at 1006. When a pro se litigant submits a request for appointment of counsel, the court must first consider whether the indigent plaintiff has made reasonable attempts to secure counsel on his own, or conversely, if he has been precluded from doing so. Pruitt, 503 F.3d at 654. Next, the court must evaluate the complexity of the case and whether the plaintiff appears competent to litigate it on his own. Id. at 654-55. Another consideration is whether the assistance of counsel would provide a substantial benefit to the court or the parties, potentially affecting the outcome of the case. Id. at 654; Gil v. Reed, 381 F.3d 649, 656 (7th Cir. 2004); see also Local Rule 83.36(c) (N.D. Ill.) (listing the factors to be taken into account in determining whether to appoint counsel).

After considering the above factors, the court concludes that appointment of counsel is not warranted in this case. First, the plaintiff has failed to show either that he has made reasonable efforts to retain private counsel or that he has been effectively precluded from making such efforts. In any event, although the complaint sets forth cognizable claims, the plaintiff has alleged no physical or mental disability that might preclude him from adequately investigating the facts giving rise to his complaint. Neither the legal issues raised in the complaint nor the evidence that might support the plaintiff's claims are so complex or intricate that a trained attorney is necessary. The plaintiff, whose submissions to date have been coherent and articulate, appears more than capable of presenting his case. It should additionally be noted that the court grants pro se litigants wide latitude in the handling of their lawsuits. Therefore, the plaintiff's motion for appointment of counsel is denied at this time. Should the case proceed to a point that assistance of counsel is appropriate, the court may revisit this request.

The plaintiff is instructed to file all future papers concerning this action with the Clerk of Court in care of the Prisoner Correspondent. The plaintiff is once again reminded that he must provide the court with the original plus a complete judge's copy, including any exhibits, of every document filed. In addition, the plaintiff must send an exact copy of any court filing to the defendants [or to defense counsel, once an attorney has entered an appearance on behalf of the defendants]. Every document filed with the court must include a certificate of service stating to whom exact copies were mailed and the date of mailing. Any paper that is sent directly to the judge or that otherwise fails to comply with these instructions may be disregarded by the court or returned to the plaintiff.


Summaries of

Gordon v. Unknown Officer 1

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Dec 16, 2011
CASE NUMBER 11 C 5784 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 16, 2011)
Case details for

Gordon v. Unknown Officer 1

Case Details

Full title:Kenneth Gordon (#2010-0613144) v. Unknown Officer 1, et al.

Court:United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Date published: Dec 16, 2011

Citations

CASE NUMBER 11 C 5784 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 16, 2011)