Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-02480/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-02480-0/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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19cv2480 LAB (AGS)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KEITH THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

v.

JOHN DOE, Warden, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 19cv2480 LAB (AGS)

SUMMARY DISMISSAL OF 

SUCCESSIVE PETITION 

PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2244(b)(3)(A) GATEKEEPER 

PROVISION

Petitioner has filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2254 along a copy of his trust account statement, which this Court construes as a request 

to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court does not rule on Petitioner’s request to proceed in 

forma pauperis because this case is summarily dismissed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2244(b)(3)(A) as indicated below.

PETITION BARRED BY GATEKEEPER PROVISION

The instant Petition is not the first Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus Petitioner 

has submitted to this Court challenging his March 4, 2010 conviction in San Diego Superior 

Court case number SCD221955. On July 1, 2011, Petitioner filed in a Court a Petition for 

Writ of Habeas Corpus in case No. 11cv1488. In that petition, Petitioner challenged his 

March 4, 2010 conviction as well. On October 20, 2015, this Court denied the petition on 

the merits. (See Order filed Oct. 20, 2015 in case No. 11cv1488 AJB (KSC) [ECF No. 

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88].) Petitioner did not file a notice of appeal in that case until over four years later, on 

November 21, 2019. [ECF No. 90.] On December 17, 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court of 

Appeals dismissed Petitioner’s appeal as untimely. (See Thomas v. Atchley, et al., No. 19-

56384 (9th Cir. Dec. 17, 2019) [ECF No. 92].) 

Petitioner is now seeking to challenge the same conviction he challenged in his prior 

federal habeas petition. Unless a petitioner shows he or she has obtained an Order from 

the appropriate court of appeals authorizing the district court to consider a successive 

petition, the petition may not be filed in the district court. See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(3)(A); 

see also Burton v. Stewart, 549 U.S. 147, 153 (2007) (a petition is successive where it 

challenges “the same custody imposed by the same judgment of a state court” as a prior 

petition). A successive application is permissible “only if it rests on a new rule of 

constitutional law, facts that were previously unavailable, or facts that would be sufficient 

to show constitutional error in the petitioner’s conviction.” 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(2). “Even 

if a petitioner can demonstrate that he qualifies for one of these exceptions, he must seek 

authorization from the court of appeals before filing his new petition with the district 

court.” Woods v. Carey, 525 F.3d 886, 888 (9th Cir. 2008). Here, there is no indication 

the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted Petitioner leave to file a successive 

petition.

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CONCLUSION

Because there is no indication Petitioner has obtained permission from the Ninth 

Circuit Court of Appeals to file a successive petition, this Court cannot consider his 

Petition. Accordingly, the Court DISMISSES this action without prejudice to Petitioner 

filing a petition in this court if he obtains the necessary order from the Ninth Circuit Court

 

1 On December 18, 2019, Petitioner filed another petition for writ of habeas corpus, 

challenging the same March 4, 2010 conviction. See Thomas v. Doe, 19cv2428 AJB 

(WVG) [ECF No. 1]. That petition was also dismissed as successive on January 8, 2020. 

See id. [ECF No. 2].

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of Appeals. For Petitioner’s convenience, the Clerk of Court shall attach a blank Ninth 

Circuit Application for Leave to File Second or Successive Petition.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: January 9, 2020 _________________________________

 Hon. Larry Alan Burns

 Chief United States District Judge

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