Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01593/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01593-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
People of the State of California
Respondent
Lonnie James Shoulders
Petitioner

Document Text:

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 A petition may be denied on the merits without exhaustion of state court remedies. 28 1

U.S.C. § 2254(b)(2). 

1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LONNIE JAMES SHOULDERS, 

Petitioner, No. CIV S-07-1593 FCD GGH P

vs.

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, 

Respondent. ORDER

 /

Petitioner, a state prisoner at California Correctional Center, has filed what

appears to be his petition for review to the California Supreme Court, regarding his conviction in

Shasta County Superior Court. Because nothing but the state court petition was filed herein, the

filing, if intended to serve as a petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, is deficient for more than

one reason. 

In the first place, by filing a petition for review to the state supreme court in this

court, the undersigned is unable to ascertain whether petitioner has exhausted his state court

remedies. The exhaustion of state court remedies is a prerequisite to the granting of a petition for

writ of habeas corpus. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1). If exhaustion is to be waived, it must be waived

explicitly by respondent’s counsel. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(3). A waiver of exhaustion, thus, may 1

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 Petitioner is cautioned that the habeas corpus statute imposes a one year statute of 2

limitations for filing non-capital habeas corpus petitions in federal court. In most cases, the one

year period will start to run on the date on which the state court judgment became final by the

conclusion of direct review or the expiration of time for seeking direct review, although the

statute of limitations is tolled while a properly filed application for state post-conviction or other

collateral review is pending. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d). 

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not be implied or inferred. A petitioner satisfies the exhaustion requirement by providing the

highest state court with a full and fair opportunity to consider all claims before presenting them

to the federal court. Picard v. Connor, 404 U.S. 270, 276 (1971); Middleton v. Cupp, 768 F.2d

1083, 1086 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 478 U.S. 1021 (1986). As noted, the court cannot discern by

this filing whether petitioner has exhausted his remedies in the highest state court and will

therefore dismiss the petition without prejudice.2

In addition, petitioner has failed to submit an application requesting leave to 

proceed in forma pauperis or to have paid the required $5.00 filing fee. The petition for review

will be dismissed with leave granted to file an amended petition for writ of habeas corpus as

required by Rule 3 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 cases, and petitioner must either pay the

required filing fee or file an application requesting leave to proceed in forma pauperis. See 28

U.S.C. §§ 1914(a), 1915(a). Petitioner will be provided the opportunity, within thirty days, to

file an amended petition using the form appropriate for this district, and either to submit an

application requesting leave to proceed in forma pauperis or to submit the appropriate filing fee. 

If petitioner has exhausted his state court remedies and amends his petition timely, he need not

re-file the petition for review but may ask the court to incorporate August 6, 2007, filing within

his amended petition. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The petition is dismissed for petitioner’s failure to set forth that he has 

exhausted his state court remedies, but petitioner is granted leave, within thirty days from the

date of service of this order, to file an amended petition that complies with the requirements of

the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Local

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Rules of Practice; the amended petition must bear the docket number assigned this case;

petitioner must use the form for a habeas petition that will be provided herewith and to file an

original and two copies of the petition; if petitioner has exhausted his state court remedies and

files a timely amended petition on the appropriate form, should he wish to incorporate his initial

filing, the petition for review within his amended petition, he may ask the court to do so, rather

than re-submitting a duplicate of the previous filing.

2. Petitioner shall also submit, within thirty days from the date of this order, the

application to proceed in forma pauperis on the form also provided by the Clerk of Court, or the

filing fee in the amount of $5.00. 

3. Petitioner’s failure to comply with this order will result in a recommendation

that this matter be dismissed; and

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to send petitioner the court’s form for filing

a petition for writ of habeas corpus, and the application to proceed in forma pauperis by a

prisoner.

DATED: 8/30/07

/s/ Gregory G. Hollows

GREGORY G. HOLLOWS

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

GGH:009/bb

shou1593.dis

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