Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-02314/USCOURTS-casd-3_15-cv-02314-0/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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

E. W. BURTON, Civil No. 15cv2314-LAB (MDD)

Petitioner,

ORDER DISMISSING CASE

vs. WITHOUT PREJUDICE

J. BEARD, Secretary,

Respondent.

Petitioner, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has submitted a document which has been

docketed as a Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, in which he requests

a stay and abeyance in this Court pending exhaustion of state court remedies in anticipation of

the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granting his pending application to file a second or

successive habeas petition in this Court challenging his state conviction. 

Petitioner has not filed a Petition for a writ of habeas corpus in this action. Therefore,

unless Petitioner is a capital prisoner, he has not initiated habeas proceedings in this Court. 

Calderon (Nicolaus) v. United States District Court, 98 F.3d 1102, 1107 n. 3 (9th Cir. 1996)

(“Unlike non-capital prisoner who initiate habeas proceedings by filing a petition for a writ of

habeas corpus, capital prisoners commence federal habeas proceedings by filing a request for

appointment of counsel.”); McFarland v. Scott, 512 U.S. 849 (1994). 

Petitioner does not contend that he is a capital prisoner, that is, a prisoner under sentence

of death, and there is nothing in the documents he has submitted which indicates that he is a

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capital prisoner. If Petitioner wishes to proceed with a habeas action in this Court he must (as

is the case with all non-capital prisoners) file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which will

be given a separate civil case number. However, if Petitioner is in fact a capital prisoner, he may

request the Court to re-open this action in order to permit him to file a Petition under the civil

case number assigned to this action. 

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

This action is DISMISSED without prejudice because Petitioner has not filed a Petition

and has therefore failed to initiate federal habeas proceedings in this action. If Petitioner is a

capital prisoner he may request to have this case reopened. If Petitioner is a non-capital prisoner,

he may file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus which will be given a separate civil case

number. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 19, 2015

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

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