Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-01122/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-01122-0/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

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

NOT FOR CITATION

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WARREN E. BLAKE,

Petitioner,

 vs.

CONNIE MERRILL, Chief Probation

Officer, Del Norte County, and

EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Attorney

General, State of California, 

Respondent. /

No. C 07-1122 PJH (PR)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

Petitioner, a California prisoner currently on probation, has filed a pro se petition for

a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Venue is proper because the

conviction was obtained in Del Norte County, which is in this district. See 28 U.S.C. §

2241(d).

BACKGROUND

A jury convicted petitioner of driving while intoxicated. He was sentenced to jail for

192 days. Petitioner contends that he raised the issues presented here in a state habeas

petition which was denied by the Supreme Court of California. 

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

This court may entertain a petition for a writ of habeas corpus "in behalf of a person

in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court only on the ground that he is in

custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States." 28 U.S.C. §

2254(a). It shall "award the writ or issue an order directing the respondent to show cause

why the writ should not be granted, unless it appears from the application that the applicant

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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or person detained is not entitled thereto." Id. § 2243. 

 Habeas corpus petitions must meet heightened pleading requirements. McFarland

v. Scott, 512 U.S. 849, 856 (1994). A petition must “specify all the grounds for relief” and

set forth “facts supporting each of the grounds thus specified.” Rule 2(c), Rules Governing

Section 2254 Cases in the Federal District Courts, 28 U.S.C. foll. § 2254.

B. Legal Claims

As grounds for federal habeas relief, petitioner asserts that: (1) His equal protection

rights were violated when the only native American prospective juror was stricken by the

prosecution; and (2) the court lacked jurisdiction over his case because he was arrested on

“private federal trust land.” These claims are sufficient to require a response. 

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The clerk shall serve by regular mail a copy of this order and the petition and all

attachments thereto on respondents and respondents’ attorney, the Attorney General of the

State of California. The clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on petitioner. 

2. Respondents shall file with the court and serve on petitioner, within sixty days of

the issuance of this order, an answer conforming in all respects to Rule 5 of the Rules

Governing Section 2254 Cases, showing cause why a writ of habeas corpus should not be

granted. Respondents shall file with the answer and serve on petitioner a copy of all

portions of the state trial record that have been transcribed previously and that are relevant

to a determination of the issues presented by the petition. 

If petitioner wishes to respond to the answer, he shall do so by filing a traverse with

the court and serving it on respondents within thirty days of his receipt of the answer.

3. Respondents may file a motion to dismiss on procedural grounds in lieu of an

answer, as set forth in the Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing

Section 2254 Cases. If respondents file such a motion, petitioner shall file with the court

and serve on respondent an opposition or statement of non-opposition within thirty days of

receipt of the motion, and respondents shall file with the court and serve on petitioner a

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For the Northern District of California

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reply within fifteen days of receipt of any opposition.

4. Petitioner is reminded that all communications with the court must be served on

respondents by mailing a true copy of the document to respondents’ counsel. Petitioner

must keep the court informed of any change of address and must comply with the court's

orders in a timely fashion. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for

failure to prosecute pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b). See Martinez v.

Johnson, 104 F.3d 769, 772 (5th Cir. 1997) (Rule 41(b) applicable in habeas cases). 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 29, 2007. 

 PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

G:\PRO-SE\PJH\HC.07\BLAKE122.OSC

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