Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-03317/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-03317-0/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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Order of Dismissal With Leave to Amend

P:\pro-se\sj.jf\hc.06\Boyd317dwlta 1

NOT FOR CITATION

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMES BOYD,

Petitioner,

 vs.

JAMES LARGE, 

Respondent. 

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No. C 06-3317 RMW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITH

LEAVE TO AMEND

Petitioner, a prisoner currently incarcerated at Red Onion State Prison in 

Pound, Virginia, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2254. The Court notes that the petition is incomplete, as it only contains three pages of

a ten-page habeas form. Petitioner fails to allege what conviction he is challenging and

whether he has exhausted his claims prior to filing the instant petition. Federal habeas

petitioners are first required to exhaust state judicial remedies, either on direct appeal or

through collateral proceedings, by presenting the highest state court available with a fair

opportunity to rule on the merits of each and every claim they seek to raise in federal

court. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b),(c); Rose v. Lundy, 455 U.S. 509, 515-16 (1982); Duckworth

v. Serrano, 454 U.S. 1, 3 (1981); McNeeley v. Arave, 842 F.2d 230, 231 (9th Cir. 1988). 

**Original filed 6/19/06**

Case 5:06-cv-03317-JF Document 3 Filed 06/19/06 Page 1 of 3
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Order of Dismissal With Leave to Amend

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The state’s highest court must be given an opportunity to rule on the claims even if

review is discretionary. See O’Sullivan v. Boerckel, 526 U.S. 838, 845 (1999) (petitioner

must invoke “one complete round of the State’s established appellate review process”). 

Therefore, Petitioner cannot present claims to this Court which he has not first raised in

the highest state court available, the Supreme Court of California, usually by direct appeal

or by way of a state habeas petition. 

The Court cannot fairly evaluate the petition in its present state. Accordingly, the

Court will dismiss the instant petition with leave to amend and allow Petitioner an

opportunity to file an amended petition to include the underlying conviction he is

challenging, the location of the conviction, and whether he has exhausted his claims in the

state court prior to filing the petition. 

CONCLUSION 

1. The instant petition is DISMISSED with leave to amend within thirty (30) 

days from the date of this order. The amended petition must include the caption and civil

case number used in this order (C 06-3317 JF (PR)) and the words AMENDED

PETITION on the first page. The amendment shall be on the Court’s form for habeas

petitions, a copy of which is enclosed with Petitioner’s copy of this order. 

Petitioner shall take care to write clearly and legibly, so the Court can read what he

writes. He must clearly state what conviction he wishes to challenge. He must set out

how he has exhausted his claims, that is, what he did to present them first to the highest

state court available, which is the Supreme Court of California. 

2. It is Petitioner’s responsibility to prosecute this case. 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).

 IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 

JEREMY FOGEL

United States District Judge

6/16/06

Case 5:06-cv-03317-JF Document 3 Filed 06/19/06 Page 2 of 3
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Order of Dismissal With Leave to Amend

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A copy of this order was mailed to the following:

James Boyd

226451

Red Onion State Prison

P.O. Box 1900

Pound, VA 24279

Case 5:06-cv-03317-JF Document 3 Filed 06/19/06 Page 3 of 3