Lawrence Christopher Smith v. Secretary, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California struck Plaintiff Lawrence Christopher Smith’s third amended complaint because it was 48 pages, largely incoherent and illegible, and failed to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 and the court’s 25-page limit. The court granted one final opportunity to file a compliant third amended complaint within 30 days or submit a notice of voluntary dismissal. The order warned that failure to comply would result in a recommendation that the action be dismissed.

Holdings

1. The court may enforce a 25-page limit for the complaint and its exhibits, and Plaintiff's 48-page third amended complaint was properly stricken for violating that limit.
2. The third amended complaint violated Rule 8 because it was excessively long, largely incoherent and illegible, failed to present short and plain statements of claims, and did not provide Defendants adequate notice of the claims.
3. Plaintiff may not join unrelated claims against unrelated defendants in one action; multiple defendants may be joined only when the claims arise from the same transaction or occurrence and share common questions of law or fact, after which multiple claims against a properly joined defendant may be considered under Rule 18.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court should strike Plaintiff's third amended complaint for exceeding the court's 25-page limit.
2. Whether the third amended complaint complied with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8's requirement that allegations be short, plain, simple, concise, and direct.
3. Whether the court should allow Plaintiff one final opportunity to file a compliant third amended complaint rather than dismissing the action.
4. What pleading requirements govern the joinder of claims and defendants in Plaintiff's amended complaint.

Disposition

other