Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-01686/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-01686-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
J. Gastello
Respondent
Mark Anthony Kennedy
Petitioner

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

San Francisco Division

MARK ANTHONY KENNEDY,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. GASTELLO,

Defendant.

Case No. 16-cv-01686-LB 

ORDER FOR REASSIGNMENT

[Re: ECF No. 6 ]

The petitioner filed this pro se action for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 

and consented to proceed before a magistrate judge. On April 29, 2016, the court issued an order 

to show cause why the petition should not be granted. The respondent has not yet appeared in this 

action, and has not yet consented to proceed before a magistrate judge.

The petitioner has filed a request for stay and abeyance so that he may return to state court to 

exhaust an additional claim. A stay and abeyance “is only appropriate when the district court 

determines there was good cause for the petitioner‟s failure to exhaust his claims first in state 

court,” the claims are not meritless, and there are no intentionally dilatory litigation tactics by the 

petitioner. Rhines v. Weber, 544 U.S. 269, 277-78 (2005). Here, the petitioner did not describe the 

unexhausted claim (other than to mention it was for ineffective assistance of counsel), or show 

good cause for failing to exhaust it before filing his petition. Resolution of the petitioner‟s request 

Case 4:16-cv-01686-YGR Document 7 Filed 05/16/16 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

for a stay and abeyance would be dispositive as to the unexhausted claim, and therefore may not 

be decided by a magistrate judge without consent of all parties. See Mitchell v. Valenzuela, 791 

F.3d 1166, 1167 (9th Cir. 2015) (motion for stay and abeyance in a habeas action “is generally 

(but not always) dispositive as to the unexhausted claims. When it is dispositive, a magistrate 

judge is without authority to „hear and determine‟ such a motion, but rather must submit a report 

and recommendation to the district court”). Because the consent of the respondent has not been 

obtained, and waiting for the respondent to consent or decline to consent before ruling on the 

request for a stay may work to the detriment of the petitioner (e.g., by making a claim untimely), 

the clerk shall cause this action to be reassigned to a district judge. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 16, 2016

______________________________________

LAUREL BEELER

United States Magistrate Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARK ANTHONY KENNEDY,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. GASTELLO,

Defendant.

Case No. 3:16-cv-01686-LB 

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 May 16, 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.

Mark Anthony Kennedy

California Mens Colony East (East) Cell 5388

PO Box 8101

San Luis Obispo, CA 93409-8101 

Dated: May 16, 2016

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

Lashanda Scott, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable LAUREL BEELER

Case 4:16-cv-01686-YGR Document 7 Filed 05/16/16 Page 3 of 3