Borum

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 LAMONT SHEPARD, Case No. 1:18-cv-00277-DAD-HBK Plaintiff, ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS MOTION

TO APPOINT COUNSEL

v. (Doc. No. 82) M. BORUM, J. ACEBEDO, Defendant. 16 Plaintiff Lamont Shepard, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, initiated this action by filing a civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on February 26, 2018. (Doc. No. 1). Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s motion to appoint counsel filed July 30, 2021. (Doc. No. 82). The United States Constitution does not require appointment of counsel in civil cases. See Lewis v. Casey, 518 U.S. 343, 354 (1996) (explaining Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. at 817, did not create a right to appointment of counsel in civil cases). Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, this Court has discretionary authority to appoint counsel for an indigent to commence, prosecute, or defend a civil action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1) (stating the court has authority to appoint counsel for people unable to…