Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00535/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00535-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 28:2254 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (State)

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K:\COMMON\EVERYONE\_EFILE-PROSE\L\07cv0535.Dismiss.wpd, 3297 -1- 07cv0535

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DOUGLAS P. ELLIOT, Civil No. 07cv0535-L (JMA)

Petitioner,

ORDER DISMISSING CASE 

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

vs.

ROBERT J. HERNANDEZ, Warden,

Respondent.

Petitioner, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has submitted a document which has been

docketed as a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, but wherein

Petitioner merely states that he is in the process of preparing a federal habeas petition and

requests an extension of time in which to file his petition. 

FAILURE TO FILE PETITION

Petitioner has not filed a Petition for writ of habeas corpus in this action. Therefore,

unless Petitioner is a capital prisoner, he has not initiated habeas proceedings in this Court.

Calderon (Nicolaus) v. United States District Court, 98 F.3d 1102, 1107 n. 3 (9th Cir. 1996)

(“Unlike non-capital prisoner who initiate habeas proceedings by filing a petition for a writ of

habeas corpus, capital prisoners commence federal habeas proceedings by filing a request for

appointment of counsel.”); McFarland v. Scott, 512 U.S. 849 (1994). 

/ / /

Case 3:07-cv-00535-L-JMA Document 2 Filed 03/29/07 Page 1 of 2
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Petitioner does not contend that he is a capital prisoner, that is, a prisoner under sentence

of death, and there is nothing in the documents he has submitted which indicates that he is a

capital prisoner. If Petitioner wishes to proceed with a habeas action in this Court he must (as

is the case with all non-capital prisoners) file a petition for writ of habeas corpus, which will be

given a separate civil case number. However, if Petitioner is in fact a capital prisoner, he may

request the Court to re-open this action in order to permit him to file a Petition under the civil

case number assigned to this action. 

The Court notes that Petitioner filed a habeas petition several days after filing the instant

request. That petition was transferred from this Court to the Central District of California on

March 27, 2007. (See Docket No. 3 in So. Dist. CA Civil Case No. 07cv0550.) The dismissal

of this action is without prejudice to Petitioner to seek the requested relief in the Central District.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

This action is DISMISSED without prejudice because Petitioner has not filed a Petition and has

therefore failed to initiate federal habeas proceedings in this action. If Petitioner is a capital prisoner

he may request to have this case reopened. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: March 29, 2007

M. James Lorenz

United States District Court Judge

CC: ALL PARTIES

Case 3:07-cv-00535-L-JMA Document 2 Filed 03/29/07 Page 2 of 2