Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02706/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02706-0/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

GORDON H. GANTZ,

Petitioner,

 vs.

THE PEOPLE,

Respondent.

 

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No. C 05-2706 JSW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL WITH

LEAVE TO AMEND 

INTRODUCTION

Petitioner Gordon H. Gantz has filed a habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 2254 challenging the constitutional validity of his state conviction. Petitioner

has paid the filing fee.

BACKGROUND

According to the petition, Petitioner was convicted by a jury of making a false

bomb threat in San Francisco Superior Court and ultimately sentenced to a term of three

years probation on April 27, 2003. Petitioner unsuccessfully appealed his conviction to

the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of California, which denied review in 2005. 

Petitioner filed the instant petition on July 1, 2005. The petition names "The People" as

respondent.

DISCUSSION

A habeas petitioner must name the "person who has custody over him" as the

respondent. See 28 U.S.C. § 2242; see also Ortiz-Sandoval v. Gomez, 81 F.3d 891, 894

(9th Cir. 1996) (quoting Rule 2(a) of the Rules Governing Habeas Corpus Cases Under

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Section § 2254). Failure to name the petitioner's custodian as a respondent deprives the

federal court of personal jurisdiction. See Stanley v. California Supreme Court, 21 F.3d

359, 360 (9th Cir. 1994). The proper respondent will depend on the facts of the

petitioner's custody. The proper respondent in the usual case of a person currently in

custody is either the warden of the institution in which the petitioner is incarcerated or

the chief officer in charge of state penal institutions. Rules Governing § 2254 Cases,

Rule 2(b), 28 U.S.C. foll. § 2254, Advisory Committee's Notes. Where the petitioner is

in probation or parole, he may name his probation or parole officer "and the official in

charge of the parole or probation agency, or the state correctional agency, as

appropriate." Id. In other cases, the petitioner may name the state attorney general. See

id.; Belgarde v. Montana, 123 F.3d 1210, 1212 (9th Cir. 1997). Here, the appropriate

respondents would be Petitioner's probation officer and the official in charge of the

probation agency or the state correctional agency, as appropriate. Ortiz-Sandoval, 81

F.3d at 894.

Petitioner did not name the appropriate respondents in his petition for writ of

habeas corpus. He must do so or the action must be dismissed for lack of personal

jurisdiction. Accordingly, the petition for writ of habeas corpus is dismissed with leave

to amend so that Petitioner may name the proper respondents in his petition. The

amended petition must be filed no later than thirty (30) days from the date of this order. 

Failure to name a proper respondent or failure to file an amended petition by the deadline

will result in the dismissal of this action.

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown:

1. This action is dismissed with leave to file an amended petition within thirty

(30) days of the date of this order in which Petitioner presents only claims for violations

of his rights under the laws, treaties, or Constitution of the United States. Petitioner must

notify the Court in his petition whether each such claim has been presented to the

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California Supreme Court. The amended petition must name the appropriate respondents

to the petition. The amended petition must contain the caption and civil case number

used in this order and the words AMENDED PETITION on the first page. Because an

amended petition completely replaces the original, Petitioner must include in it all the

claims he wishes to present. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir.), cert.

denied, 113 S. Ct. 321 (1992). Petitioner may not incorporate material from the original

petition by reference. Failure to file an amended petition by the deadline as set forth

above will result in dismissal of this action.

2. It is Petitioner's responsibility to prosecute this case. He must keep the Court

informed of any change of address by filing a separate paper with the clerk headed

“Notice of Change of Address.” He must comply with any orders of the Court within the

time allowed, or ask for an extension of that time. 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).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: November 28, 2005 

JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

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