The opinion
1
2
3
4
5
6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
7 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
8
9 CLARENCE LONNELL ROBERSON, Case No. 1:19-cv-01724-ADA-EPG (PC)
10 Plaintiff, ORDER DENYING WITHOUT PREJUDICE
PLANTIFF’S MOTION FOR PERSONAL
11 v. PROPERTY
12 L.T., et. al., (ECF No. 78).
13 Defendants.
14
15 Clarence Lonnell Roberson (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma
16 pauperis in this civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On August 15, 2022,
17 Plaintiff filed a motion for personal property which requests the Court to issue an order directing
18 staff at San Quentin State Prison to expedite the retrieval of Plaintiff’s personal property from
19 Mule Creek State Prison. (ECF No. 78). Plaintiff represents that since his arrival to San Quentin
State Prison on July 28, 2022, “zero attempts have been made by custody to obtain my personal
20
property from MCSP.” (Id.). Plaintiff states the personal property in question includes legal work
21
and legal mail. (Id.). For the reasons that follow, Plaintiff’s motion will be denied without
22
prejudice.
23
First, the Court notes that, according to Plaintiff, he was transferred from Mule Creek
24
State Prison to San Quentin State Prison on July 28, 2022, and that Plaintiff signed his motion on
25
August 9, 2022. (ECF No. 78). Thus, it is not clear on the face of the motion that the property
26
transfer has been unreasonably delayed. Further, while Plaintiff states the personal property
27
contains legal material, Plaintiff does not connect the request to any Defendants in this case or
28
1 inability to litigate this case. For those reasons, the motion will be denied without prejudice.
2 However, if Plaintiff does not receive his legal property in a reasonable time and wishes to
3 file another motion for a court order to obtain his property, the Court provides the following legal
4 standards under the All Writs Act.
The All Writs Act permits federal courts to “issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid
5
of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law.” 28 U.S.C. §
6
1651(a). “The power conferred by the Act extends, under appropriate circumstances, to persons
7
who, though not parties to the original action or engaged in wrongdoing, are in a position to
8
frustrate the implementation of a court order or the proper administration of justice, and
9
encompasses even those who have not taken any affirmative action to hinder justice.” United
10
States v. New York Tel. Co., 434 U.S. 159, 174 (1977) (footnote and citations omitted).
11
“Thus, use of the All Writs Act is appropriate in prisoner civil rights cases where non-
12
party correctional officials are impeding the prisoner-plaintiff's ability to litigate his pending
13
action.” Hammler v. Haas, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49377, *3-4, 2019 WL 118880444 (E.D. Cal.,
14
Mar. 22, 2019). See also Mitchell v. Haviland, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109106, *5 (E.D. Cal.,
15
Aug. 18, 2015) (“Use of the All Writs Act is appropriate in cases where prison officials, not
16 named as defendants, allegedly have taken action that impedes a prisoner's ability to litigate
17 his case”); Lopez v. Cook, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52198, 2014 WL 1488518 (E.D. Cal., Apr. 15,
18 2014) (issuing an order under the All Writs Act requiring prison officials to provide Plaintiff, who
19 was in the Segregated Housing Unit for non-disciplinary reasons, with two contact visits with his
20 counsel). However, “injunctive relief under the All Writs Act is to be used sparingly and only in
21 the most critical and exigent circumstances,” and only “if the legal rights at issue are indisputably
22 clear.” Brown v. Gilmore, 533 U.S. 1301, 1303, 122 S.Ct. 1, 150 L.Ed.2d 782 (2001) (citations
23 and internal quotation marks omitted).
Alternatively, if Plaintiff needs an extension to a deadline in this action due to any delay
24
in receiving his legal property, Plaintiff may file an extension of time with this Court.
25
\\\
26
\\\
27
\\\
28
1 Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff's motion for personal property is
2 | DENIED without prejudice.
3
4 IT IS SO ORDERED.
5| Dated: _ September 9, 2022 Fahey —
6 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28