Scott

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 FORREST KENDRID, No. 2:22-cv-02300-CKD P Plaintiff, v. ORDER R. SCOTT, et al., Defendants. 16 Plaintiff is a civil detainee proceeding pro se in an action brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Currently pending before the court are plaintiff’s motion for the appointment of counsel and a motion to amend his complaint. The court will address each motion in turn. I. Motion for Counsel Plaintiff requests that the court appoint counsel. 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, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). When determining whether “exceptional circumstances” exist, the…