Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-01372/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-01372-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
James Maloy
Petitioner
J. Soto
Respondent

Document Text:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMES MALOY,

Petitioner,

v.

JOSIE GASTELO, Acting Warden,1

Respondent.

Case No. 16-cv-01372-DMR (PR)

ORDER OF TRANSFER

Petitioner, a state prisoner who is incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony (“CMC”),

has filed this pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, challenging 

the validity of his conviction obtained in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Dkt. 1. He has 

paid the full filing fee. Id.

On April 4, 2016, the Clerk of the Court informed Petitioner that this action has been 

assigned to the undersigned Magistrate Judge. Dkt. 2. On April 11, 2016, Petitioner declined 

magistrate judge jurisdiction. Dkt. 3.

A petition for a writ of habeas corpus made by a person in custody under the judgment and 

sentence of a state court of a State which contains two or more federal judicial districts may be 

filed in either the district of confinement or the district of conviction. See 28 U.S.C. § 2241(d). 

The district court where the petition is filed, however, may transfer the petition to the other district 

in the furtherance of justice. See id. Federal courts in California traditionally have chosen to hear 

petitions challenging a conviction or sentence in the district of conviction. See Dannenberg v. 

Ingle, 831 F. Supp. 767, 767 (N.D. Cal. 1993); Laue v. Nelson, 279 F. Supp. 265, 266 (N.D. Cal. 

 

1

Josie Gastelo, the current acting warden of the prison where Petitioner is incarcerated, has 

been substituted as Respondent pursuant to Rule 25(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Case 4:16-cv-01372-DMR Document 4 Filed 04/18/16 Page 1 of 3
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

1968). If the petition is directed to the manner in which a sentence is being executed, e.g., if it 

involves parole or time credits claims, the district of confinement is the preferable forum. See

Habeas L.R. 2254-3(a); Dunne v. Henman, 875 F.2d 244, 249 (9th Cir. 1989).

Here, Petitioner challenges a conviction and sentence incurred in the Los Angeles County 

Superior Court, which is within the venue of the Western Division of the Central District of 

California. See 28 U.S.C. § 84(c). CMC, the place of Petitioner’s confinement, is in San Luis 

Obispo County, which is also located in the Western Division of the Central District of California. 

Id. Therefore, the Western Division of the United States District Court for the Central District of 

California has jurisdiction over this matter. 

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a) and Habeas L.R. 2254-3(b), and in the interest of justice, 

this action is TRANSFERRED to the Western Division of the United States District Court for the 

Central District of California. Even though Petitioner has declined magistrate judge jurisdiction, 

venue transfer is a non-dispositive matter and, thus, it falls within the scope of the jurisdiction of 

the undersigned Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A). Therefore, the Clerk 

shall transfer the case forthwith.

All remaining pending motions are TERMINATED on this court’s docket as no longer 

pending in this district. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 18, 2016

DONNA M. RYU

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 4:16-cv-01372-DMR Document 4 Filed 04/18/16 Page 2 of 3
3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JAMES MALOY,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. SOTO,

Defendant.

Case No. 4:16-cv-01372-DMR 

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 April 18, 2016, 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.

James Maloy

H-97093

CSP LAC B3-224

PO Box 4490

Lancaster, CA 93539 

Dated: April 18, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Ivy Lerma Garcia, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable DONNA M. RYU

Case 4:16-cv-01372-DMR Document 4 Filed 04/18/16 Page 3 of 3