Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_17-cv-05577/USCOURTS-cand-4_17-cv-05577-3/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)

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MIGUEL CARDONA INOSTROZ,

Petitioner,

v.

JOEL MARTINEZ,

Respondent.

Case No. 17-cv-05577-HSG 

ORDER DENYING WITHOUT 

PREJUDICE REQUESTS TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS ON 

APPEAL AND FOR CERTIFICATE OF 

APPEALABILITY

Re: Dkt. Nos. 13, 14

Petitioner filed the instant pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 

U.S.C. § 2254 challenging the validity of a judgment obtained against him in state court. Dkt. No. 

1. On January 21, 2020, the Court denied the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, denied a 

certificate of appealability, and entered judgment in favor of respondent. Dkt. Nos. 11, 12. 

Petitioner has filed a request to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal (Dkt. No. 13) and a request 

for a certificate of appealability (Dkt. No. 14). However, neither pleading is signed.1 Fed. R. Civ. 

P. 11(a) requires that every pleading, written motion, and other paper be signed by at least one 

attorney of record in the attorney’s name or by a party personally if the party is unrepresented. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). Rule 11 requires the court to strike an unsigned paper unless the omission is 

promptly corrected after being called to the attorney’s or party’s attention. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). 

The Court therefore DENIES petitioner’s requests to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal and for 

a certificate of appealability without prejudice to re-filing signed motions requesting leave to 

1 Petitioner’s notice of appeal (Dkt. No. 15) is also unsigned. A notice of appeal must be signed 

by the appellant or the appellant’s counsel. Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). However, failure to sign the 

notice does not divest the court of appeals of jurisdiction; rather, the appellant may remedy the 

defect by supplying a signature once the omission is called to his or her attention. Becker v. 

Montgomery, 532 U.S. 757, 760 (2001) (applying Rule 11(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure). 

Case 4:17-cv-05577-HSG Document 17 Filed 02/19/20 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

proceed in forma pauperis on appeal and requesting a certificate of appealability. Dkt. Nos. 13, 

14. 

This order terminates Dkt. Nos. 13 and 14.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 2/19/2020

______________________________________

HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.

United States District Judge

Case 4:17-cv-05577-HSG Document 17 Filed 02/19/20 Page 2 of 2