(PC) Rodriguez-Mendez v. Ellred,et al

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 RODRIGO RODRIGUEZ-MENDEZ, No. 2:24-CV-0678-DMC-P Plaintiff, v. ORDER ELLRED, et al., Defendants. 16 Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s motion for the appointment of counsel, ECF No. 8. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that district courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in civil rights cases. Cf. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain exceptional circumstances, the Court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). See Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335-36 (9th Cir. 1990). A finding of “exceptional circumstances” requires an evaluation of both the likelihood of success on the merits and the…