Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-03149/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-03149-0/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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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PRESTON WILLIAM

BRAXTON, 

Petitioner,

 v.

A. P. KANE, Warden, 

Respondent. ____________________________

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No. C 06-3149 JSW (PR)

ORDER DISMISSING PETITION

Petitioner, a former state prisoner previously incarcerated at the Correctional

Training Facility in Soledad, California, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The petition is directed to the failure of that facility to provide him

with a proper diet of kosher food.

Petitioner’s claims do not involve the fact or duration of his confinement, hence

they are not the proper subject of a habeas action. See Moran v. Sondalle, 218 F.3d 647,

650-52 (7th Cir. 2000); Badea v. Cox, 931 F.2d 573, 574 (9th Cir. 1991) (civil rights

action is proper method of challenging conditions of confinement); Crawford v. Bell, 599

F.2d 890, 891-92 & n.1 (9th Cir. 1979) (affirming dismissal of habeas petition on basis

that challenges to terms and conditions of confinement must be brought in civil rights

complaint). 

A district court may construe a habeas petition attacking conditions of confinement

as a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. See Wilwording v. Swenson, 404 U.S.

249, 251 (1971). However, although the court may construe a habeas petition as a civil

rights action, it is not required to do so. Since the Wilwording case was decided there

Case 3:06-cv-03149-JSW Document 10 Filed 10/16/06 Page 1 of 2
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have been significant changes in the law. For instance, the filing fee for a habeas petition

is five dollars, and if leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted, the fee is forgiven. 

For civil rights cases, however, the fee is $350 and under the Prisoner Litigation Reform

Act the prisoner is required to pay it, even if granted in forma pauperis status, by way of

deductions from his or her prisoner account. In view of this, this case will be dismissed

without prejudice to Petitioner filing a civil rights action if he wishes to do so in light of

the above. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 16, 2006 _________________________

JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-03149-JSW Document 10 Filed 10/16/06 Page 2 of 2