Romanelli v. Suliene

In section 1983 action by plaintiff-prisoner alleging that defendants-prison officials were deliberately indifferent to his Crohn’s disease, Dist. Ct. did not err in denying plaintiff’s request for appointment of counsel to assist him in his claim against defendants. There is no constitutional or statutory right to counsel in federal civil cases, and Dist. Ct. appropriately denied first request where plaintiff had failed to show that he made adequate attempt to secure private counsel. As to second and third requests for counsel, Dist. Ct. could properly find from plaintiff’s submitted pleadings that case was not complex, and that plaintiff could competently represent himself. Fact that plaintiff ultimately lost on merits of case was not dispositive even though appointed counsel could have made better presentation of case.