Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook - Sentencing and Justice Reform ...

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AMENDED COMPLAINT Plaintiff [your name], pursuant to Rules 15(a) and 19(a), Fed. R. Civ. P., requests leave to file an amended complaint adding a party. 1. The plaintiff in his original complaint named a John Doe Defendant. 2. Since the filing of the complaint the plaintiff has determined that the name of the John Doe defendant is [defendant’s name]. Paragraphs [paragraphs in which you refer to John Doe] are amended to reflect the identity and the actions of Officer {defendant’s name]. 3. This Court should grant leave freely to amend a complaint. Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182 (1962). [Date] Respectfully submitted, [Plaintiff’s name] [Plaintiff’s Address] 2. Declaration for Entry of Default. In the United States District Court For the _____________________ -------------------------------------------x Name of first plaintiff : in the case, et al., : Plaintiffs, : : v. : Civil Action No.__ : Name of first defendant : in the case, et al., : Defendants : -------------------------------------------x DECLARATION FOR ENTRY OF DEFAULT [Your name], hereby declares: I am the plaintiff herein. The complaint herein was filled on the [day you filed the complaint] of [month, year you filed the complaint]. The court files and record herein show that the Defendants were served by the United States Marshal with a copy of summons, and a copy of the Plaintiffs’ complaint on the [day of service] of [month, year of service]. More than 20 days have elapsed since the date on which the Defendants herein were served with summons and a copy of Plaintiffs’ complaint, excluding the date thereof. The Defendants have failed to answer or otherwise defend as to Plaintiffs’ complaint, or serve a copy of any answer or any defense which it might have had, upon affiant or any other plaintiff herein. Defendants are not in the military service and are not infants or incompetents. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at (city and state) on (date). ________________________ Signature. 3. Motion for Judgment by Default. You only need to submit this Motion if the court clerk enters a default against the defendant. In the United States District Court For the _____________________ -------------------------------------------x Name of first plaintiff : in the case, et al., : Plaintiffs, : : v. : Civil Action No.__ : Name of first defendant : in the case, et al., : Defendants : -------------------------------------------x MOTION FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT Plaintiffs move this court for a judgment by default in this action, and show that the complaint in the above case was filed in this court on the [date filed] day of [month, year filed]; the summons and complaint were duly served on the Defendant, [Defendants’ names] on the [date served] day of [month, year served]; no answer or other defense has been filed by the Defendant; default was entered in the civil docket in the office of this clerk on the [day default entered] day of [month, year default entered]; no proceedings have been taken by the Defendant since the default was entered; Defendant was not in military service and is not an infant or incompetent as appears in the declaration of [your name] submitted herewith. Wherefore, plaintiff moves that this court make and enter a judgment that [same as prayer for relief in complaint] Dated: ________ [your signature] Plaintiffs’ Names and Addresses JAILHOUSE LAWYERS HANDBOOK - APPENDIX 81
APPENDIX C: Important Constitutional Amendments In this section you will find the text of the Constitutional Amendments which we refer to throughout this handbook. The First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The Fourth Amendment “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The Fifth Amendment “No person shall be held to answer for a capital or other infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.” The Eighth Amendment “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The Fourteenth Amendment “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.” PLEASE NOTE: There is more to the Fourteenth Amendment that we have not included. APPENDIX D: Sources of Support & Publicity Below is a short list of other organizations working on prison issues, mainly with a legal focus. When writing to these groups, please remember a few things: Write simply and specifically, but don’t try and write like you think a lawyer would. Be direct in explaining yourself and what you are looking for. It is best not to send any legal documents unless they are requested. If or when you do send legal documents, only send copies. Hold on to your original paperwork. Because of rulings like the PLRA and limited funding, many organizations are small, have limited resources and volunteer staff. It may take some time for them to answer your letters. But always keep writing. American Civil Liberties Union National Office 125 Broad Street, 18 th Floor New York, NY 10004 The biggest civil liberties organization in the country. They have a Prison Project, and also have chapters in each of the 50 states. Write them for information about individual chapters. American Friends Service Committee Criminal Justice Program – National 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia PA, 19102 Human and civil rights issues, research/analysis, women prisoners, prisoner support. American People Human Rights Review Committee (APHRRC) 1316 Perry Ave., Bremerton, WA, 98310 Research/analysis, prisoners rights, legal resources Books Through Bars 4722 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19143 Sends books to prisoners for free / very low cost. California Prison Focus 2940 16th St. #307, San Francisco, CA, 94103 A general resource center in California. Produces publications, legal resources, information on prisoners' rights, health care and medical issues, AIDS. Community Justice Center 103 E 125th. St., Rm 604, New York, NY, 10035 Does work around prisoners' rights. JAILHOUSE LAWYERS HANDBOOK - APPENDIX 82
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Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook How t
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JAILHOUSE LAWYER’S HANDBOOK Table
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APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS......
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prisoners; and to have access to an
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5. Keeping Up to Date and Learning
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the public eye and had some positiv
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Chapter Two: Planning Your Section
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elief in the federal courts. While
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number is not on their list of ten
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violated the constitution when they
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your belief is both religious and s
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another law that protects prisoners
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courts use a less strict standard o
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U.S. 460 (1983), the most important
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deprived of a basic human need. Sub
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Courts generally agree that the tes
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(2) by showing that the regulation
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Page 71 and 72: as a lawyer. Gometz v. Henman, 807
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Page 75 and 76: B. LEGAL CITATIONS - HOW TO FIND CO
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Page 79 and 80: C. LEGAL WRITING Here is where you
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Page 107 and 108: United States District Court for th
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