(PC) Parker v. Lynch

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 MELVIN A. PARKER, No. 2:23-cv-0503 KJN P Plaintiff, v. ORDER WARDEN JEFF LYNCH, et al., Defendants. 16 Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding pro se, in an action brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff requests that the court appoint Brian Dunn, The Cochran Firm, 4929 Wilshire Blvd., Suite #1010, Los Angeles, CA 90010, as counsel for plaintiff. However, plaintiff provides no documentation showing that Mr. Dunn has agreed to represent plaintiff. It is unclear whether Mr. Dunn handles civil rights litigation. District courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in section 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In exceptional circumstances, the court may request an attorney to voluntarily represent such a plaintiff. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332,…