Madden

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 HELIDORO GONZALES, Case No.: 23-cv-2181-AGS-DEB 11

Plaintiff, 12 ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR v. APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL 13

RAYMOND MADDEN, et al., 14 Defendants. [DKT NO. 25] 15

16 17 Before the Court is Plaintiff’s Motion for Appointment of Counsel. Dkt No. 25. 18 Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis on a claim filed 19 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Dkt. No. 9 at 1–2. Plaintiff claims he is “illiterate/Spanish- 20 speaking” and, therefore, appointment of counsel is warranted in the instant action. Dkt. 21 No. 25 at 1 (Pl.’s Mot. to Appoint Counsel.). For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiff’s 22 motion is DENIED without prejudice. 23 There is no constitutional right to counsel in a civil case. Palmer v. Valdez, 560 F.3d 24 965, 970 (9th Cir. 2009) (citing Storseth v. Spellman, 654 F.2d 1349, 1353 (9th Cir. 1981)). 25 An indigent’s right to appointed counsel exists “only where the litigant may lose his…