Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-06903/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-06903-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KENNETH WAYNE ROBERTSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

WILLOWS POLICE DEPARTMENT, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 16-cv-06903-DMR (PR)

ORDER OF TRANSFER

This case was opened when Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, filed a complaint

under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on the court’s civil rights form. Dkt. 1. He has also filed an application 

for in forma pauperis (“IFP”) status. Dkts. 2, 6. 

This action has been assigned to the undersigned magistrate judge. On December 22, 

2016, Plaintiff consented to magistrate judge jurisdiction in this matter. Dkt. 5.

It is not clear whether Plaintiff intends to file a civil rights action or a habeas action. In his 

complaint, under the “Statement of Claim” section, Plaintiff claims that the named Defendants in 

this action, including officers from the Willows Police Department in Glenn County and two 

judges from the Glenn County Superior Court, “took part in this malicious prosecution.” Dkt. 1 at 

3. As relief, he requests monetary damages as well as for his sentence to be “vacated.” Id. 

If this is a habeas case, it should preferably be heard in the district of confinement. Habeas 

L.R. 2254-3(a); Dunne v. Henman, 875 F.2d 244, 249 (9th Cir. 1989). Petitioner seems to be 

challenging a conviction and sentence incurred in the Glenn County Superior Court, which is 

within the venue of the Eastern District of California. See 28 U.S.C. § 84. If this action is a civil 

rights case, the proper venue also would also be in the Eastern District, which includes Glenn 

Case 4:16-cv-06903-DMR Document 8 Filed 02/15/17 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

County, where the putative Defendants would be found and where the claims arose. See 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1391(b). The court need not decide whether this action should be treated as a habeas case or a 

civil rights case, because either way the preferable venue is in the Eastern District. 

Accordingly, in the interest of justice and pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a), this action is 

TRANSFERRED to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. The 

Clerk of the Court shall transfer the case forthwith. 

All remaining motions are TERMINATED on this court’s docket as no longer pending in 

this district.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 15, 2017 ______________________________

DONNA M. RYU

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 4:16-cv-06903-DMR Document 8 Filed 02/15/17 Page 2 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KENNETH WAYNE ROBERTSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

WILLOWS POLICE DEPARTMENT, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 4:16-cv-06903-DMR 

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 February 15, 2017, 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.

Kenneth Wayne Robertson

#AY1348

Solano Level III 2-212-L

PO Box 4000

Vacaville, CA 95696 

Dated: February 15, 2017

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Ivy Lerma Garcia, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable DONNA M. RYU

Case 4:16-cv-06903-DMR Document 8 Filed 02/15/17 Page 3 of 3