Ortega
Williams v. Ortega
Opinion
Trial Court Opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 LANCE WILLIAMS, Case No.: 18cv547-LAB-MDD
Plaintiff,
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
v. MOTION TO APPOINT COUNSEL
O. ORTEGA, et al., [ECF No. 120] Defendants. 14 15 On January 20, 2021, Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, moved the Court to appoint counsel. (ECF No. 120). In support, Plaintiff explains the case is “too complex and difficult to litigate with [his] mental health impairments and [the] coronavirus pandemic.” (Id. at 1). Additionally, Plaintiff lacks a legal education and law library access. (Id. at 1-2). District courts lack authority to require counsel to represent indigent prisoners in § 1983 cases. Mallard v. United States Dist. Court, 490 U.S. 296, 298 (1989). In certain exceptional circumstances, the district court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1). Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 (9th Cir. 1991); Wood v. …