Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-00496/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-00496-0/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANGEL FLORES,

Petitioner,

 vs.

WARDEN,

Respondent.

 

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No. C 16-0496 JSW (PR)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE;

GRANTING LEAVE TO PROCEED IN

FORMA PAUPERIS

(Dkt. No. 3)

INTRODUCTION

Petitioner, a prisoner of the State of California proceeding pro se, has filed a

habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 challenging the constitutionality of

his state court conviction. He has applied for leave to proceed in forma pauperis.

BACKGROUND

Petitioner was convicted by a jury in San Francisco County Superior Court in

2000, and sentenced to a term of 24 years in state prison. The California Court of Appeal

affirmed the judgment, and the California Supreme Court denied a petition for review in

2003. Over the next 11 years, Petitioner filed a number of habeas petitions and other postjudgment motions in the San Francisco County Superior Court, most of which were

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denied. In 2010, the superior court granted his motion to correct the indictment, and in

2014, the superior court granted further discovery in connection with his motion for

modification of the judgment. A motion to the California Court of Appeal was denied in

2015. Petitioner filed a federal habeas petition in 2015 that was dismissed without

prejudice, and he filed the instant petition on January 28, 2016. 

DISCUSSION

I Standard of Review

This court may entertain a petition for a writ of habeas corpus “in behalf of a

person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court only on the ground that he is

in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States.” 28

U.S.C. § 2254(a). It shall “award the writ or issue an order directing the respondent to

show cause why the writ should not be granted, unless it appears from the application that

the applicant or person detained is not entitled thereto.” Id. § 2243. 

II. Legal Claims

As grounds for federal habeas relief, Petitioner claims that: (1) the prosecutor

violated his right to due process by falsifying records and misrepresenting facts; (2) law

enforcement violated the Fourth Amendment and concealed exculpatory evidence in

violation of due process; and (3) the prosecution presented differing theories of guilt to

the grand jury, at trial, and on appeal, in violation of his Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth

Amendment rights. When liberally construed, these claims warrant a response from

Respondent. 

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The Clerk shall serve a copy of this order and the petition, and all attachments

thereto, on Respondent and Respondent's attorney, the Attorney General of the State of

California. The Clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on Petitioner. 

2. Respondent shall file with the Court and serve on Petitioner, within ninety-one

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(91) days of the issuance of this order, an answer conforming in all respects to Rule 5 of

the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases, showing cause why a writ of habeas corpus

should not be granted. Respondent shall file with the answer and serve on Petitioner a

copy of all portions of the state trial record that have been transcribed previously and that

are relevant to a determination of the issues presented by the petition. If Petitioner wishes

to respond to the answer, he shall do so by filing a traverse with the Court and serving it

on Respondent within twenty-eight (28) days of the date the answer is filed.

3. Respondent may, within ninety-one (91) days, file a motion to dismiss on

procedural grounds in lieu of an answer, as set forth in the Advisory Committee Notes to 

Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases. If Respondent files such a motion,

Petitioner shall file with the Court and serve on Respondent an opposition or statement of

non-opposition within twenty-eight (28) days of the date the motion is filed, and

Respondent shall file with the Court and serve on Petitioner a reply within fourteen (14)

days of the date any opposition is filed.

4. It is Petitioner’s responsibility to prosecute this case. Petitioner must keep 

the Court informed of any change of address by filing a separate paper captioned “Notice

of Change of Address.” He must comply with the Court’s orders in a timely fashion. 

Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to prosecute pursuant

to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

5. Leave to proceed in forma pauperis is GRANTED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: February 26, 2016 JEFFREY S. WHITE

 United States District Judge

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