Kevin Jordan v. Brian Carter

PER CURIAM. Iowa inmate Kevin Jordan appeals following the district court’s 1 entry of judgment upon an adverse jury verdict in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. He argues that his counsel was ineffective and that he was not permitted to be present at his trial. We conclude Jordan presents no basis for a new trial. There is no constitutional or statutory right to effective assistance of counsel in a civil case, see Taylor v. Dickel, 293 F.3d 427, 431 (8th Cir.2002), and plaintiffs in a civil rights case generally have no constitutional right to be present at the trial of their claims. Am. Inmate Paralegal Assoc. v. Cline, 859 F.2d 59, 62 (8th Cir.1988) (per curiam). The grant of leave to proceed in forma pauperis does not automatically entitle a civil litigant to a transcript at government expense. See 28 U.S.C. § 753(f); Rhodes v. Corps of Eng’rs, 589 F.2d 358, 359 (8th Cir.1978). Accordingly, we affirm the judgment. See 8th Cir. R. 47B. Footnotes [1] The Honorable Ronald E. Longstaff, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa.