Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01268/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-01268-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Goodwill Industries
Defendant
Ronald Ortiz
Plaintiff
Security Officer
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RONALD ORTIZ, ) 

 )

Plaintiff, )

)

)

v. )

)

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, et al., ) 

 )

Defendants. )

)

 )

1:06-cv-1268-0WW-SMS 

ORDER TRANSFERRING CASE TO THE

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

Plaintiff is a state prisoner who is proceeding pro se with

an action concerning an alleged assault from a private person

that Plaintiff suffered at a Goodwill store in Huntington Beach,

California. The defendants named are Goodwill Industries and an

unnamed security officer. The business form of the named

defendant is not set forth. The matter has been referred to the

Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) and Local Rules

72-302 and 72-304. 

The basis for subject matter jurisdiction in this Court is

unclear. However, with respect to venue, the federal venue

statute generally requires that a civil action, whether based

only on diversity of citizenship or on other grounds, be brought

Case 1:06-cv-01268-OWW -SMS Document 6 Filed 11/02/06 Page 1 of 2
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only in "(1) a judicial district where any defendant resides, if

all defendants reside in the same state, or (2) a judicial

district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions

giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of the

property that is the subject of the action is situated.” 28

U.S.C. § 1391(a), (b). If there is no district in which the

action may otherwise be brought, a civil action may be brought in

a judicial district in which any defendant is otherwise subject

to personal jurisdiction or may be found. § 1391(a),(b).

In this case, none of the defendants appears to reside in 

this district. The claim arose in Orange County, which is in the 

Central District of California. Therefore, Plaintiff's claim

should have been filed in the United States District Court for

the Central District of California. In the interest of justice, a

federal court may transfer a complaint filed in the wrong

district to the correct district. See 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a); 

Starnes v. McGuire, 512 F.2d 918, 932 (D.C. Cir. 1974).

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this matter is

transferred to the United States District Court for the Central 

District of California.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 31, 2006 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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