Thornton

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 6 SIMON THORNTON, Case No. 21-cv-01956-WHO

Plaintiff,

ORDER EXTENDING TIME;

v.

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

MICHAEL MEDVIN, et al., THE APPOINTMENT OF

COUNSEL

Defendants. 11 Dkt. Nos. 12 and

13 Plaintiff Thornton’s motion to extend time to file oppositions to the two pending 14 motions for summary judgment is GRANTED. (Dkt. No. 23.) The oppositions shall be 15 filed on or before June 1, 2022. 16 Thornton moves for the appointment of counsel. (Dkt. No. 12.) The decision to 17 request counsel to represent an indigent litigant under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 is within “the 18 sound discretion of the trial court and is granted only in exceptional circumstances.” 19 Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 1236 (9th Cir. 1984). A finding of “exceptional 20 circumstances” requires an evaluation of the likelihood of the plaintiff’s success on the 21 merits and an evaluation of the plaintiff’s ability to articulate his claims pro se in light of 22 the complexity of the legal issues involved. See Agyeman v. Corrections Corp. of 23 America,…