Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_95-cv-05108/USCOURTS-caed-1_95-cv-05108-11/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 535
Nature of Suit: Habeas Corpus - Death Penalty
Cause of Action: 28:2254 Ptn for Writ of H/C - Stay of Execution

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28 1

JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER RE:

PETITIONER’S MENTAL INCOMPETENCE – 1:-95-CV-5108 LJO

GARY D. SOWARDS (State Bar # 69426)

JEAN R. STERNBERG (State Bar # 79353)

SAMIRA SADEGHI (State Bar # 184014)

MARGO HUNTER (State Bar # 184157)

HABEAS CORPUS RESOURCE CENTER

303 Second Street, Suite 400 South

San Francisco, California 94107

Telephone: (415) 348-3800

Facsimile: (415) 348-3873

Attorneys for Petitioner RONALD AVERY McPETERS

EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Attorney General of the State of California

MARY JO GRAVES, Chief Assistant Attorney General

MICHAEL P. FARRELL, Senior Assistant Attorney General

STAN CROSS (State Bar # 122094)

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

MICHAEL A. CANZONERI (State Bar # 131649)

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

1300 I Street

Sacramento, CA 94244

Telephone: (916) 324-5158

Facsimile: (916) 324-2960

Attorneys for Respondent ROBERT L. AYERS, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RONALD AVERY McPETERS,

Petitioner,

v.

ROBERT L. AYERS, JR., Warden of

California State Prison at San Quentin,

Respondent.

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Case No.: 1:95-CV-05108 LJO

DEATH PENALTY CASE

JOINT STIPULATION AND

SUPPLEMENTAL ORDER RE:

PETITIONER’S MENTAL

INCOMPETENCE

TO: THE HONORABLE LAWRENCE J. O’NEILL, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR

THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA:

Pursuant to the Court’s Order Following Status Conference, filed March 30, 2007, and the

Case 1:95-cv-05108-DAD-SAB Document 244 Filed 09/18/07 Page 1 of 4
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JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER RE:

PETITIONER’S MENTAL INCOMPETENCE – 1:-95-CV-5108 LJO

Court’s Order re: Process for Assessing Petitioner’s Mental Status (Modifying March 30, 2007 Order

Following Status Conference), filed April 22, 2007; and in light of the report prepared by Dr. Aubrey

Dent on June 21, 2007 and the evaluation of Dr. Dent’s report prepared Dr. Reese T. Jones on July 30,

2007, the parties, through counsel, have met and conferred, and confirmed their agreement with the

Court’s determination that a stay of the proceedings under Rohan ex rel. Gates v. Woodford, 334 F.3d

803 (9th Cir. 2003), is appropriate due to Mr. McPeters’s present incompetence. 

The parties, through counsel, further agreed that the stay should remain in effect until Mr.

McPeters is restored to competency, and that petitioner’s counsel shall apprise the Court annually and

respondent, on or before the anniversary of the filing of the Court’s order staying proceedings,

whether there has been a material change in petitioner’s mental condition. 

The parties, through counsel, further agreed that the Warden shall provide a copy of Mr.

McPeters’s medical records, inclusive of psychiatric records, to counsel for the parties, as requested

by petitioner’s counsel, for the preparation of the annual status report. 

The parties, through counsel, further agree that at any time the stay is vacated and litigation of

Mr. McPeters’s habeas corpus proceedings resumes, any declaration that was previously filed in state

or federal court, and executed by a mental health expert who is no longer available to testify, may be

admitted as the witness’s direct testimony in an evidentiary hearing on Mr. McPeters’s habeas corpus

claims. 

DATED: August 31, 2007 Respectfully submitted,

GARY D. SOWARDS

JEAN R. STERNBERG

SAMIRA SADEGHI

MARGO HUNTER

HABEAS CORPUS RESOURCE CENTER

_____/S/_____________________________

By: Jean R. Sternberg

Attorneys for Petitioner Ronald McPeters

Case 1:95-cv-05108-DAD-SAB Document 244 Filed 09/18/07 Page 2 of 4
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JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER RE:

PETITIONER’S MENTAL INCOMPETENCE – 1:-95-CV-5108 LJO

EDMUND G. BROWN, JR.

Attorney General, State of California

MARY JO GRAVES

Chief Assistant Attorney General

MICHAEL P. FARRELL

Senior Assistant Attorney General 

STAN CROSS

Supervising Deputy Attorney General 

MICHAEL A. CANZONERI

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

______/S/_____________________________

By: Michael A. Canzoneri

Attorneys for Respondent Robert L. Ayers, Jr.

ORDER

Pursuant to the parties’ stipulation, and based upon the evidence of petitioner’s incompetence

supplied variously by a number of experts and mental health professionals, including Aubrey O. Dent,

M.D., a staff psychiatrist at the California Medical Facility at Vacaville State Prison, and Reese T.

Jones, M.D., the mental health professional designated by the Warden, and good cause appearing

therefore, it is hereby ordered that the proceedings are stayed pursuant to Rohan ex rel. Gates v.

Woodford, 334 F.3d 803 (9th Cir. 2003), due to Mr. McPeters’s present incompetence. 

The stay shall remain in effect until Mr. McPeters is restored to competence. While this stay

remains in effect, and on or before the anniversary of the filing of this order, petitioner’s counsel shall

annually apprise the Court and respondent whether there has been a material change in petitioner’s

mental condition. 

The Warden is ordered to provide a copy of Mr. McPeters’s medical records, inclusive of

psychiatric records, to counsel for the parties, as requested by petitioner’s counsel, for the preparation

of the annual status report. 

In the event the stay is vacated, and litigation of the habeas corpus proceedings resumes, any

declaration that was previously filed in state or federal court, and executed by a mental health expert

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JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER RE:

PETITIONER’S MENTAL INCOMPETENCE – 1:-95-CV-5108 LJO

who is no longer available to testify, may be admitted as the witness’s direct testimony in an

evidentiary hearing on Mr. McPeters’s habeas corpus claims.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 17, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O’Neill 

Lawrence J. O’Neill

 United States District Judge

Case 1:95-cv-05108-DAD-SAB Document 244 Filed 09/18/07 Page 4 of 4