Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-03751/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-03751-0/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

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MATTHEW GEORGE JENNINGS,

Petitioner,

vs.

D.L. RUNNELS, Warden

Respondent. /

No. C 01-3751 PJH (PR)

ORDER REOPENING CASE

AND LIFTING STAY

This is a habeas case filed pro se by a state prisoner. It is fully briefed and

submitted. One of petitioner’s claims is that his Confrontation Clause rights were violated

when statements to the police by three non-testifying co-defendants were admitted at trial

without a prior opportunity for cross-examination. It appeared this issue would be

controlled by Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 59 (2004), which the Ninth Circuit had

held to apply retroactively to cases on collateral review such as this one, so the court

stayed this case to allow petitioner to exhaust the Crawford issue in state court. He has

written the court saying that he has completed exhaustion. The letter will be treated as a

motion to reopen and lift the stay.

The United States Supreme Court has now reversed the Ninth Circuit’s holding that

Crawford applies retroactively, see Whorton v. Bockting, 127 S. Ct. 1173, 1184 (2007)

(applying Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288, 310-316 (1989)), so the question upon which the

stay was granted is now moot – Crawford does not apply to petitioner’s claim. In any

event, petitioner also has exhausted. 

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Case 4:01-cv-03751-PJH Document 30 Filed 11/07/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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The implied motion to lift the stay and reopen the case is GRANTED. The clerk

shall reopen this case. Because Crawford does not apply, no further briefing is necessary;

the case will be decided in its proper order without further action by the parties.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 7, 2007. 

 PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

G:\PRO-SE\PJH\HC.01\JENNINGS751.LIFTSTAY.wpd

Case 4:01-cv-03751-PJH Document 30 Filed 11/07/07 Page 2 of 2