Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_96-cv-01401/USCOURTS-caed-2_96-cv-01401-32/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 535
Nature of Suit: Habeas Corpus - Death Penalty
Cause of Action: 28:2254 Ptn for Writ of H/C - Stay of Execution

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JAMES S. THOMSON

California SBN 79658

Attorney and Counselor at Law

819 Delaware Street 

Berkeley, California 94710

Telephone: (510) 525-9123

Facsimile: (510) 525-9124

JOLIE LIPSIG

Attorney at Law

California SBN 104644

1006 4th St., Suite 301

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 443-6995

Facsimile: (916) 443-7081

Attorneys for Petitioner

WILLIAM A. PROCTOR

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WILLIAM A. PROCTOR, ) No. CIV-S-96-1401 JAM CMK

)

Petitioner, ) DEATH PENALTY CASE

)

 )

v. ) APPLICATION AND ORDER

) FOR EXTENSION OF TIME 

) TO FILE MERITS BRIEF

)

ROBERT L. AYERS, Warden of )

California State Prison at San Quentin, )

)

Respondent. )

_________________________________)

 Pursuant to a scheduling order issued January 28, 2008, petitioner’s brief on the merits of

Claims EE, W, Y, CC, EE, and NN is due on November 17, 2008. Petitioner timely sought

reconsideration by the district judge of the order for briefing, but no action has yet been

taken on the request for reconsideration. Petitioner, by and through his counsel, hereby

requests an extension of sixty days (60), to and including January 16, 2009, in which to

submit his brief. 

Case 2:96-cv-01401-DAD-DMC Document 295 Filed 11/21/08 Page 1 of 3
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The extension of time is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Respondent’s brief on the merits was filed on September 17, 2008. Since it was

filed, Mr. Thomson has been unable to work on the answering briefing due to other personal and

work obligations.

2. Mr. Thomson ’s father passed away in the beginning of November. In the weeks

prior to his father’s death, he spent considerable time in Southern California, attending to his

father. In addition to his family obligations, Mr. Thomson is counsel in a capital trial in the

Northern District of California, U. S. v Dennis Cyrus, Case # CR-05-00324-MMC.

Extensive in limine proceedings have been ongoing in that case during the past sixty days and

have required a substantial portion of Mr. Thomson’s available time. 

3. As this Court is aware, Ms. Lipsig is employed full-time by the Office of the State

Public Defender and has a full case load. She is thus unable to devote significant time to the

present case except on weekends and in the evenings. 

4. Counsel are still awaiting a ruling by the district court on their partial request to

reconsider the briefing order. It has now been under submission since June, 2008. Counsel

reasonably anticipated that a ruling would be issued before the briefing was due. Although

counsel will continue to prepare the merits briefing in the absence of a ruling of their request,

counsel are reluctant to expend the resources of the court, and their own time, unnecessarily. 

5. Counsel for petitioner have contacted counsel for respondent, Deputy Attorney

General Brian Smiley, regarding this request for an extension of time. He indicated that he has no

objection to the request in light of the death in Mr. Thomson’s family and counsel’s workload.

For all the reasons stated above, petitioner requests that he be granted an additional sixty

(60) days, to and including January 16, 2009, in which to submit his brief on the merits Claims

EE, W, Y, CC, EE, and NN and that respondent’s time in which to submit a reply brief be

Case 2:96-cv-01401-DAD-DMC Document 295 Filed 11/21/08 Page 2 of 3
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extended until thirty (30) days thereafter, or until February 16, 2009.

 DATED: November 14, 2008

Respectfully submitted,

/s/JAMES S. THOMSON

/s/ JOLIE LIPSIG

Attorneys for Petitioner

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: November 20, 2008

______________________________________

CRAIG M. KELLISON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:96-cv-01401-DAD-DMC Document 295 Filed 11/21/08 Page 3 of 3