Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_09-cv-04518/USCOURTS-cand-5_09-cv-04518-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 28:2241 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Order of Dismissal

P:\PRO-SE\SJ.JW\HC.09\Walker04518_dism-2241 (exh).wpd

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANGELA WALKER,

Petitioner,

 vs.

PAUL COPENHAVER, Warden, 

Respondent.

 

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No. C 09-04518 JW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL; GRANTING

LEAVE TO PROCEED IN FORMA

PAUPERIS

(Docket No. 2)

Petitioner, a federal prisoner incarcerated in Dublin, California, has filed a pro se

petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging the execution of

her federal sentence. Petitioner has filed a motion for leave to proceed in forma

pauperis. (Docket No. 2.)

BACKGROUND

In 2003, petitioner was found guilty in the United States District Court for the

District of Montana of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. (Pet. at 2.) On

December 11, 2003, petitioner was sentenced to 165 months in federal prison, where

she is currently serving her sentence. Petitioner’s projected release date is July 17,

2015.

Case 5:09-cv-04518-JW Document 6 Filed 02/19/10 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Order of Dismissal

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DISCUSSION

Petitioner claims that the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) is unlawfully refusing to

exercise its discretion to consider her individually for pre-release placement at a

Community Corrections Center (“CCC”) and home confinement. (Pet. at 1.) Petitioner

claims that she is being denied equal protection under the law because male inmates are

being categorically granted six months in the CCC while female prisoners, like herself,

are being categorically denied consideration fo the full twelve months based on their

gender and custody level. (Id.) 

Section 2241 does not specifically require petitioners to exhaust available

remedies before filing petitions for a writ of habeas corpus. Castro-Cortez v. INS, 239

F.3d 1037, 1047 (9th Cir. 2001). Nonetheless, the Ninth Circuit requires “as a

prudential matter, that habeas petitioners exhaust available judicial and administrative

remedies before seeking relief under § 2241.” (Id.) (citations omitted). The

requirement may be waived in limited circumstances because it is not a jurisdictional

prerequisite. Id.; see e.g., Laing v. Ashcroft, 370 F.3d 994, 1000-01 (9th Cir. 2004)

(listing circumstances when waiver of exhaustion requirement may be appropriate). 

Petitioner states in the petition that she is “in the process of exhausting her

administrative remedies through the BOP’s administrative appeals process, even though

she has been notified by staff that she will be categorically denied, rendering the process

futile.” (Pet. at 3, citing Laing, 370 F.3d 994) She further asserts that exhaustion would

be futile because the Deputy Director is married to the Warden, and therefore an

objective review of the Warden’s unlawful denial of her grievance cannot be expected. 

(Id.) Without providing any evidentiary support, petitioner’s conclusory allegations that

exhaustion would be futile are unpersuasive and insufficient for this Court to excuse her

failure to exhaust administrative remedies. 

Furthermore, this case may be subject to dismissal because petitioner’s claim

does not appear to be ripe for adjudication. “The ripeness doctrine prevents courts,

through avoidance of premature adjudication, from entanglement in theoretical or

Case 5:09-cv-04518-JW Document 6 Filed 02/19/10 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Order of Dismissal

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abstract disagreements that do not yet have a concrete impact on the parties.” 18

Unnamed "John Smith" Prisoners v. Meese, 871 F.2d 881, 883 (9th Cir. 1989). The

Second Chance Act, as revised, designates the placement of qualifying inmates in

community confinement or home detention during the final months of the terms of their

imprisonment, i.e., the shorter of ten percent of the inmate’s term or six months but not

to exceed twelve months. See 18 U.S.C. 3624(c). Petitioner’s projected release date is

July 17, 2015, based on her term of 165 months. The earliest she could qualify for prerelease placement would be July 17, 2014, which is not for another four years. 

Accordingly, it cannot be said that the BOP’s categorical denial of petitioner’s request

for pre-release placement, when she still has over five years remaining on her sentence,

has had a “concrete impact” on the execution of petitioner’s sentence. Meese, 871 F.2d

at 883. 

Petitioner’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (Docket No. 2) is

GRANTED. 

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons, the petition for a writ of habeas corpus under § 2241

is DISMISSED without prejudice to petitioner filing a new petition after exhausting the

BOP’s administrative appeals process. 

This order terminates Docket No. 2.

DATED: 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge 

February 10, 2010 

Case 5:09-cv-04518-JW Document 6 Filed 02/19/10 Page 3 of 4
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANGELA WALKER,

Petitioner,

 v.

PAUL COPENHAVER, Warden,

Respondent. /

Case Number: CV09-04518 JW 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on , I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the

attached, by placing said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s)

hereinafter listed, by depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into

an inter-office delivery receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Angela Walker 07753-046

FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

Satellite Prison Camp

5675 8TH ST - CAMP PARKS

DUBLIN, CA 94568

Dated: 

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Elizabeth Garcia, Deputy Clerk

2/19/2010 2/19/2010 /s/

Case 5:09-cv-04518-JW Document 6 Filed 02/19/10 Page 4 of 4