Macomber

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 KEENAN WILKINS, also known as No. 2:16-CV-0475-TLN-DMC-P Nerrah Brown, 12 Plaintiff, ORDER v. 14 JEFF MACOMBER, et al., 15 Defendants.

17 Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the Court is Defendants’ motion, ECF No. 57, to sever improperly joined claims and/or parties. Defendants contend Plaintiff’s Eighth Amendment claims and religious practice claims, each asserted against numerous defendants, should be severed based on improper joinder pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 20. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 18(a) limits the joinder of claims, whereas Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 20(a) limits the joinder of parties in a single lawsuit. Rule 18(a) states: “A party asserting a claim . . . may join, as independent or alternative claims, as many claims as it has against an opposing party.” Rule 20(a)(2) states: “[p]ersons . . . may be joined in one action 27 …