Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_12-cv-00070/USCOURTS-caed-1_12-cv-00070-2/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARK CURTIS ORTEGA, )

)

Petitioner, )

)

)

v. )

)

MARTIN BITER, Warden, ) 

 )

Respondent. )

)

 )

1:12-cv—00070-AWI-SKO-HC

ORDER GRANTING PETITIONER’S

MOTION TO AMEND THE PETITION AND

NAME A PROPER RESPONDENT 

(Doc. 10)

ORDER DIRECTING THE CLERK TO

CHANGE THE NAME OF THE RESPONDENT

ORDER REQUIRING RESPONDENT TO

FILE A RESPONSE TO THE PETITION

ORDER SETTING A BRIEFING SCHEDULE

ORDER DIRECTING THE CLERK TO

SERVE DOCUMENTS ON THE ATTORNEY

GENERAL

Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with a

petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 

The matter has been referred to the Magistrate Judge pursuant to

28 U.S.C.§ 636(b)(1) and Local Rules 72-302 and 72-303. Pending

before the Court is Petitioner’s motion to amend the petition to

name as Respondent Martin Biter, Warden of the Kern Valley State

Prison located in Delano, California. The motion was filed on

February 10, 2012, in response to the Court’s order of January

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18, 2012, granting Petitioner leave to file the motion.

I. Motion to Amend the Petition

A petitioner seeking habeas relief must name the state

officer having custody of him or her as the respondent to the

petition. Rule 2(a) of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases;

Ortiz-Sandoval v. Gomez, 81 F.3d 891, 894 (9 Cir.1996); Stanley th

v. California Supreme Court, 21 F.3d 359, 360 (9 Cir.1994). th

Normally, the person having custody of the prisoner is the warden

of the prison because the warden has “day to day control over”

the prisoner. Brittingham v. United States, 982 F.2d 378, 279

(9th Cir.1992). Therefore, Petitioner’s request is proper.

II. Order to File a Response to the Petition

The Court has conducted a preliminary review of the

petition. It is not clear from the face of the petition whether

Petitioner is entitled to relief. 28 U.S.C. § 2243. 

Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section

2254 Cases and Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,1

the Court will direct Respondent to file a response and will

issue a scheduling order.

III. Disposition 

Accordingly, it is ORDERED that:

1) Petitioner’s motion for leave to amend the petition to

name Warden Martin Biter as Respondent in this matter is GRANTED;

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure “apply to proceedings for habeas

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corpus ... to the extent that the practice in those proceedings (A) is not

specified in a federal statute, the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases, or the

Rules Governing Section 2255 Cases; and (B) has previously conformed to the

practice in civil actions.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 81(a)(4). Rule 12 also provides

“[t]he Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to the extent that they are not

inconsistent with any statutory provisions or these rules, may be applied to a

proceeding under these rules.” Rule 12, Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases.

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and

2) The Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to change the name of

Respondent to Martin Biter, Warden; and

3) The Court hereby ORDERS: 

a) Respondent SHALL FILE a RESPONSE to the petition within 2

SIXTY (60) days of the date of service of this order. See Rule

4, Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases; Cluchette v. Rushen, 770

F.2d 1469, 1473-1474 (9 Cir. 1985) (court has discretion to fix th

time for filing a response). A response can be made by filing

one of the following: 

i. An ANSWER addressing the merits of the petition. 

Respondent SHALL INCLUDE with the ANSWER any and all transcripts

or other documents necessary for the resolution of the issues

presented in the petition. See Rule 5, Rules Governing Section

2254 Cases. Any argument by Respondent that a claim of

Petitioner has been procedurally defaulted SHALL BE MADE in the

ANSWER, but must also address the merits of the claim asserted.

ii. A MOTION TO DISMISS the petition. A motion to

dismiss SHALL INCLUDE copies of all Petitioner’s state court

filings and dispositive rulings. See Rule 5, Rules Governing

Section 2254 Cases.3

Respondent is advised that a scanned copy of the petition is available

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in the Court’s electronic case filing system (CM/ECF).

Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases provides that upon the

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Court’s determination that summary dismissal is inappropriate, the “judge must

order the respondent to file an answer, motion, or other response within a

fixed time, or to take other action the judge may order.” Rule 4, Rules

Governing Section 2254 Cases; see also Advisory Committee Notes to Rules 4 and

5 of Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases (stating that a dismissal may obviate

the need for filing an answer on the substantive merits of the petition and

that the respondent may file a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust);

White v. Lewis , 874 F.2d 599, 602-03 (9th Cir. 1989) (providing that a motion

to dismiss pursuant to Rule 4 is proper in a federal habeas proceeding).

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b. If Respondent files an answer to the petition,

Petitioner MAY FILE a traverse within THIRTY (30) days of the

date Respondent’s answer is filed with the Court. If no traverse

is filed, the petition and answer are deemed submitted at the

expiration of the thirty (30) days. 

c. If Respondent files a motion to dismiss, Petitioner

SHALL FILE an opposition or statement of non-opposition within

TWENTY-ONE (21) days of the date Respondent’s motion is filed

with the Court. If no opposition is filed, the motion to dismiss

is deemed submitted at the expiration of the thirty (30) days. 

Any reply to an opposition to the motion to dismiss SHALL BE

FILED within SEVEN (7) days after the opposition is served. 

d. Unless already submitted, both Respondent and Petitioner

SHALL COMPLETE and RETURN to the Court within THIRTY (30) days a

consent/decline form indicating whether the party consents or

declines to consent to the jurisdiction of the United States

Magistrate Judge pursuant to Title 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1). 

e. The Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to SERVE a copy of

this order on the Attorney General or his representative. 

All motions shall be submitted on the record and briefs

filed without oral argument unless otherwise ordered by the

Court. Local Rule 230(l). Extensions of time will only be

granted upon a showing of good cause. All provisions of Local

Rule 110 are applicable to this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 29, 2012 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto 

ie14hj UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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