Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01488/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01488-4/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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U.S. District Court

 E. D. California 1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RODERICK WASHINGTON, )

)

Petitioner, )

)

v. )

)

ALLEN K. SCRIBNER, )

)

Respondent. )

____________________________________)

1:05-cv-01488-AWI-TAG HC 

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO

DENY PETITIONER’S MOTION TO

REOPEN CASE AND/OR VACATE

JUDGMENT (Doc. 8)

ORDER DENYING AS MOOT

PETITIONER’S MOTION TO PROCEED IN

FORMA PAUPERIS (Doc. 9)

ORDER WITHDRAWING ORDER OF

OCTOBER 3, 2007 (Doc. 10)

ORDER DIRECTING THAT OBJECTIONS

BE FILED WITHIN TEN DAYS

Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with a petition for writ of habeas corpus 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 

On October 13, 2006, the Court dismissed the instant petition and entered judgment for

Respondent based on Petitioner’s failure to pay the $5.00 filing fee. (Doc. 7). On September 7,

2007, Petitioner filed the instant Motion to Reopen Case And/Or Vacate Judgment, contending that

prison officials, not Petitioner, caused the delay in paying his filing fees. (Doc. 8). Also on

September 7, 2007, Petitioner filed a motion to proceed in forma pauperis. (Doc. 9). On October 3,

2007, the Court issued an order denying Petitioner’s motion to reopen the case and denying the

request to proceed in forma pauperis as moot. (Doc. 10). Petitioner filed a notice of appeal on

October 11, 2007. (Doc. 11). To insure that Petitioner’s motion to reopen the case is handled

appropriately, the Court is withdrawing its order of October 3, 2007, and re-issuing it as these

Findings and Recommendations.

Case 1:05-cv-01488-AWI-TAG Document 13 Filed 10/18/07 Page 1 of 3
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If the Court were to construe the motion as a Motion to Alter or Amend the Judgment, pursuant 1

to Fed.R.Civ.P. 59(e), the motion would have to be denied because such a motion must be made within

ten days of the entry of judgment. Here, by contrast, Petitioner waited almost an entire year before filing

his motion.

U.S. District Court

 E. D. California 2

DISCUSSION

The Court construes Petitioner’s motion to reopen the case as a motion for reconsideration

pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure § 60(b).

1

Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides in pertinent part as follows: 

On motion and upon such terms as are just, the court may relieve a party or a party’s legal

representative from a final judgment, order, or proceeding for the following reasons: (1)

mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; (2) newly discovered evidence which

by due diligence could not have been discovered in time to move for a new trial under Rule

59(b); (3) fraud (whether heretofore denominated intrinsic or extrinsic), misrepresentation, or

other misconduct of an adverse party; (4) the judgment is void; (5) the judgment has been 

satisfied, released, or discharged, or a prior judgment upon which it is based has been

reversed or otherwise vacated, or it is no longer equitable that the judgment should 

have prospective application; or (6) any other reason justifying relief from the 

operation of the judgment.

Petitioner fails to meet this high standard. Petitioner’s motion contends that prison officials

caused the fatal delay in paying the filing fees by obstructing Petitioner for “1⁄2 year from submitting

filing fees” and by cancelling a check in May 2007 that would have paid for the fees in this case. 

Even assuming such unsubstantiated allegations were true, however, they fail to explain why

Petitioner waited until May 2007 to pay the filing fee in a case in which he was made aware of the

need to pay said fee on July 19, 2006 or why Petitioner made no other efforts in the ensuing six

months after May 2007 to resolve this issue. Moreover, Petitioner had already raised with the Court

this issue of prison interference with his mail in a filing on February 16, 2006 (Doc. 4), and therefore

he does not now set forth any new arguments or evidence that have not already been considered by

this Court. Petitioner’s arguments thus present no basis for relief.

ORDER

Accordingly, the Court HEREBY ORDERS as follows:

1. The Court’s order of October 3, 2007 (Doc. 10), is WITHDRAWN; and,

2. Petitioner’s Motion to Proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. 9), is DENIED as MOOT. 

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U.S. District Court

 E. D. California 3

RECOMMENDATIONS

For the foregoing reasons, the Court RECOMMENDS that Petitioner’s Motion to Reopen

Case And/Or Vacate Judgment (Doc. 8), be DENIED.

These Findings and Recommendations are submitted to the United States District Judge

assigned to this case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636 (b)(1)(B) and Rule 72-304 of the

Local Rules of Practice for the United States District Court, Eastern District of California. Within 

fifteen (15) days after being served with a copy, any party may file written objections with the Court

and serve a copy on all parties. Such a document should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate

Judge’s Findings and Recommendations.” The District Judge will then review the Magistrate

Judge’s ruling pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636 (b)(1)(C). The parties are advised that failure to file

objections within the specified time may waive the right to appeal the District Court’s order. 

Martinez v. Ylst, 951 F.2d 1153 (9th Cir. 1991).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 17, 2007 /s/ Theresa A. Goldner 

j6eb3d UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

Case 1:05-cv-01488-AWI-TAG Document 13 Filed 10/18/07 Page 3 of 3