Alexander v. The City of New York, 1:25-cv-00284

Plaintiff Zion Alexander, currently incarcerated at Rikers Island, filed a pro se complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging federal constitutional violations and seeking both damages and injunctive relief.
The claims involve alleged inadequate medical care and lack of proper administrative responses at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center and Bellevue Hospital.
Plaintiff requested three forms of interim relief: a copy of his original complaint, an extension of time to file an amended complaint, and appointment of pro bono counsel.
The Court granted Alexander's request for a copy of his original complaint and clarified that the deadline for amending the complaint is thirty days after discovery of defendants’ identities.
The Court denied, without prejudice, both the request for an extension (as premature) and the motion for pro bono counsel (as too early to assess the merits).

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Access to Original Complaint	Needs original to amend	Not opposed/not at issue	Granted: Court provided copy.
Extension to Amend Complaint	Needs more time pending identification of defendants	Procedurally premature	Denied without prejudice; not ripe until identities known.
Appointment of Pro Bono Counsel	Cannot effectively litigate without counsel	Too early to assess merits	Denied without prejudice; merits cannot yet be assessed.

Cooper v. A. Sargenti Co., 877 F.2d 170 (2d Cir. 1989) (Merits of the case are the most important factor for pro bono appointment)