Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-00793/USCOURTS-cand-3_19-cv-00793-0/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

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MICHAEL ELIJAH RODRIGUEZ,

Plaintiff,

v.

STUART SHERMAN, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 19-cv-00793-JD 

ORDER RE STAY

Re: Dkt. No. 5

Petitioner Michael Elijah Rodriguez filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus on 

February 13, 2019, asserting six claims regarding his sentence in state court. Dkt. No. 1. On 

March 19, 2019, Rodriguez moved to stay his petition in order to properly exhaust five of the six 

claims, which had not been presented in his first state habeas corpus petition. Dkt. No. 5. The 

State of California opposes the stay. Dkt. No. 14. A stay is granted to allow Rodriguez to exhaust 

the claims in his petition.

Rodriguez has satisfied the requirements of Rhines v. Weber, 544 U.S. 269, 278 (2005). 

He has shown good cause for his failure to exhaust, namely, ineffective assistance of state postconviction counsel. Dkt. No. 5 at 3; see also Blake v. Baker, 745 F.3d 977, 983 (9th Cir. 2014) 

(ineffective assistance by post-conviction counsel can be good cause under Rhines). Rodriguez’s 

unexhausted claims are potentially meritorious. See Rhines, 544 U.S. at 278. Rodriguez has also 

already begun litigating his unexhausted claims, and has periodically updated the Court regarding 

its status, Dkt. Nos. 12, 16, 17, showing that there is no indication of “intentionally dilatory 

litigation tactics.” Rhines, 544 U.S. at 278.

Consequently, a stay is warranted. Rodriguez must advise the Court within 30 days of 

exhausting all the claims in his petition.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 16, 2020

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

Case 3:19-cv-00793-JD Document 18 Filed 01/16/20 Page 1 of 1