Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05385/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05385-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BILLY WAYNE BLAIR, JR.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF

CORRECTIONS, et al., 

Defendants. ______________________________

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No. C 07-5385 MMC (PR) 

ORDER OF TRANSFER

(Docket No. 2)

On October 22, 2007, plaintiff, a California prisoner proceeding pro se, filed the

above-titled civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleges that his

incarceration at Corcoran State Prison is unlawful, and is the result of actions taken by prison

officials at Corcoran State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and

Rehabilitation. 

Venue may be raised by the court sua sponte where the defendant has not filed a

responsive pleading and the time for doing so has not run. See Costlow v. Weeks, 790 F.2d

1486, 1488 (9th Cir. 1986). When jurisdiction is not founded solely on diversity, venue is

proper in (1) the district in which any defendant resides, if all of the defendants reside in the

same state; (2) the district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to

Case 3:07-cv-05385-MMC Document 4 Filed 10/31/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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the claim occurred, or a substantial part of the property that is the subject of the action is

situated; or (3) a judicial district in which any defendant may be found, if there is no district

in which the action may otherwise be brought. See 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b). When venue is

improper, the district court has the discretion to either dismiss the case or transfer it “in the

interest of justice.” See 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a). 

It is clear from the complaint that plaintiff’s claims arise out of actions alleged to have

been committed at Corcoran State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and

Rehabilitation. Corcoran State Prison is in Kings County, California, and lies within the

venue of the Eastern District of California. See 28 U.S.C. § 84(b). The California

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is in Sacramento County, California, and also

lies within the venue of the Eastern District of California. See id. As a result, venue is

proper in the Eastern District of California, not in the Northern District. 

Accordingly, in the interest of justice, the above-titled action is hereby

TRANSFERRED to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. In

light of the transfer, this Court will defer to the Eastern District with respect to plaintiff’s

application to proceed in forma pauperis. 

The Clerk shall close the file and terminate Docket No. 2 on this Court’s docket. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 31, 2007 _____________________________

MAXINE M. CHESNEY

United States District Judge

Case 3:07-cv-05385-MMC Document 4 Filed 10/31/07 Page 2 of 2