Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00094/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00094-5/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Efrain Ornelas Cruz
Petitioner
R. Stewart
Respondent

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

EFRAIN ORNELAS CRUZ, ) 

 ) 

 )

)

Petitioner, )

)

)

v. )

)

R. STEWART, )

)

Respondent. )

____________________________________)

1:06-cv-00094-LJO-TAG HC

ORDER DISMISSING PETITION FOR WRIT

OF HABEAS CORPUS (Doc. 1)

ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT

TO ENTER JUDGMENT

Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis with a petition for writ

of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 

Petitioner filed his Petition on January 30, 2006. (Doc. 1). On April 3, 2007, the Court

ordered Respondent to file a response. (Doc. 12). On June 4, 2007, Respondent filed a “Response to

Court’s Order; Notice of Related Case,” in which Respondent advised the Court of an identical

pending petition filed by Petitioner on January 3, 2006, in Case No. 06-cv-00002-LJO-WMW. 

(Doc. 14). Respondent requested that the Court take judicial notice of this related case, and that the

Court either transfer the instant case to the Magistrate Judge handling Case No. 06-00002, or that the

Court “take other action it deems appropriate under these circumstances.” (Id.). 

The Court has reviewed both Case No. 06-00006 and the instant petition and finds that the

two petitions are identical in substance. Both petitions challenge the same conviction, and the

instant petition raises the same claims that were raised in Case No. 06-00006. The only distinction

between the two handwritten petitions is the expected variation in penmanship. Review of the

Case 1:06-cv-00094-LJO -TAG Document 15 Filed 06/07/07 Page 1 of 2
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petitions also discloses that in the first action, Case No. 06-00006, Respondent was ordered to file a

response and has since filed a motion to dismiss based on lack of exhaustion. 

In light of the duplicative nature of the petitions, the Court finds that the instant, later-filed 

action should be DISMISSED. Petitioner may pursue his habeas claims through Case No. 06-00006.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The petition for writ of habeas corpus (Doc. 1), is DISMISSED; and,

2. The Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to ENTER JUDGMENT and close the file.

This order terminates the action in its entirety.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 6, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

66h44d UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:06-cv-00094-LJO -TAG Document 15 Filed 06/07/07 Page 2 of 2