Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-00146/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-00146-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Matthew Louis Johnson
Petitioner
Unknown
Respondent

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MATTHEW LOUIS JOHNSON, 

Petitioner, 

v. 

UNKNOWN, 

Respondent. 

No. 2:17-cv-146-EFB P 

ORDER 

 Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel. This action was opened when he 

filed a letter with the court requesting that he be “immediately” released. ECF No. 1. Petitioner 

has not properly commenced a civil action. To commence a civil action, a party must file a 

complaint or a petition. Fed. R. Civ. P. 3; Rule 3, Rules Governing § 2254 Cases; Woodford v. 

Garceau, 538 U.S. 202, 203 (2003). The instant filing constitutes neither. 

 If petitioner wishes to challenge a judgment of conviction entered against him in state 

court, he must file an application for a writ of habeas corpus using this court’s form petition. In 

addition, petitioner must either file an in forma pauperis affidavit or pay the required filing fee 

($5.00). See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914(a); 1915(a). Until petitioner submits a petition and either pays 

the filing fee or meets the requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), there is simply no case before the 

court. 

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Case 2:17-cv-00146-EFB Document 3 Filed 01/26/17 Page 1 of 2
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 Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that: 

 1. The Clerk of the Court shall send to petitioner the court’s forms for application for writ 

of habeas corpus and application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. 

 2. Within 30 days of the date of this order, petitioner shall either pay the $5 filing fee or 

submit a complete application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis using the form provided. 

 3. Within 30 days of the date of this order, petitioner shall file a petition for writ of 

habeas corpus using the form provided. 

 4. Failure to comply with this order may result in this case being closed. 

DATED: January 26, 2017. 

 

Case 2:17-cv-00146-EFB Document 3 Filed 01/26/17 Page 2 of 2