Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-06588/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-06588-3/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 

Northern District of Californi

a

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MICHAEL EUGENE WYATT, 

Petitioner, 

v. 

JOHN SUTTON, 

Respondent. 

Case No. 18-cv-06588-PJH 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR A 

STAY; GRANTING EXTENSION 

Re: Dkt. Nos. 32, 37 

Petitioner, a California prisoner, proceeds with a pro se petition for a writ of 

habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The first two petitions were dismissed with 

leave to amend because it was not entirely clear the claims petitioner had presented. 

Liberally construing the second amended petition, petitioner asserted that: (1) the trial 

court erred by failing to instruct the jury on self-defense and imperfect self-defense; (2) 

there was insufficient evidence of premeditation and deliberation for first degree murder; 

and (3) ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to improper jury instructions 

and failing to present a claim of self-defense. The court found that those claims were 

sufficient to require a response and issued an order to show cause. The court noted that 

if those were not the claims petitioner wished to proceed with, he must inform the court 

within fourteen-days. Petitioner submitted several filings and indicated he wished to 

move forward with the order to show cause. Docket No. 24 at 2; Docket No. 26 at 1. 

Petitioner then filed a motion requesting a stay to exhaust a claim regarding selfdefense jury instructions. The motion was dismissed with leave to amend because 

petitioner had not presented any arguments for good cause and it was not clear if the 

claim was new or a claim already identified by the court that was unexhausted. Petitioner 

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United States District Court 

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was advised to file an amended motion with arguments for good cause and to describe if 

this is a new claim or one of the existing claims 

In Rhines v. Weber, 544 U.S. 269 (2005) the United States Supreme Court found 

that a stay and abeyance of a mixed federal petition should be available only in the 

limited circumstance that good cause is shown for a failure to have first exhausted the 

claims in state court, that the claim or claims at issue potentially have merit and that there 

has been no indication that petitioner has been intentionally dilatory in pursuing the 

litigation. Rhines, supra, at 277-78. Petitioner has submitted several filings but has failed 

to address the standard in Rhines and had failed to provide more information regarding 

the claim. The amended motion for a stay (Docket No. 32) is DENIED. Respondent’s 

motion for an extension (Docket No. 37) is GRANTED. Respondent has until June 28, 

2019, to file a response to the petition. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: May 3, 2019 

 

PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON 

United States District Judge 

 

Case 4:18-cv-06588-PJH Document 39 Filed 05/03/19 Page 2 of 3
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United States District Court 

Northern District of Californi

a

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MICHAEL EUGENE WYATT,

Plaintiff, 

v. 

JOHN SUTTON, 

Defendant. 

Case No. 18-cv-06588-PJH 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California. 

That on May 3, 2019, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing 

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by 

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery 

receptacle located in the Clerk's office. 

Michael Eugene Wyatt ID: AW6376

Wasco State Prison 

101 Scofield Avenue 

P.O. Box 8800 

Wasco, CA 93280 

Dated: May 3, 2019 

Susan Y. Soong 

Clerk, United States District Court 

By:________________________ 

Kelly Collins, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON 

Case 4:18-cv-06588-PJH Document 39 Filed 05/03/19 Page 3 of 3