Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-01572/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-01572-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ron Davis
Respondent
Willie Leo Harris
Petitioner

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WILLIE LEO HARRIS,

Petitioner,

v.

RON DAVIS, Warden of California State 

Prison at San Quentin,

Respondent.

Case No. 1:16-cv-01572-DAD

DEATH PENALTY CASE

ORDER APPOINTING COUNSEL AND 

SETTING INITIAL CASE MANAGEMENT 

CONFERENCE 

Case Management Conference

Date: January 18, 2017

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Courtroom: 5

Judge: Hon. Dale A. Drozd

On October 18, 2016, petitioner Willie Leo Harris, a state prisoner facing capital 

punishment, commenced this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 by filing applications for 

appointment of counsel to represent him, stay of execution and to proceed in forma pauperis. 

On October 19, 2016, the court issued an order referring the case to the Selection Board 

for the Eastern District of California for recommendation of counsel, denying without prejudice 

petitioner’s application for stay of execution and granting petitioner’s application to proceed in 

forma pauperis. On October 19, 2016, Deputy Attorney General Amanda Cary filed her notice 

of appearance on behalf of respondent, Ron Davis, Warden of California State Prison at San 

Quentin. 

On November 28, 2016, the Selection Board recommended that attorneys Richard Novak

and Saor Stetler be appointed to represent petitioner. The court will adopt that recommendation.

Case 1:16-cv-01572-DAD Document 8 Filed 11/30/16 Page 1 of 3
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Accordingly,

1. Richard Novak, Esq. and Saor Stetler, Esq. are appointed as co-counsel to 

represent petitioner for all purposes in this proceeding pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 

3599. See Local Rule 191(c). 

2. On January 18, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., the undersigned will hold a case management 

conference. The parties may appear by teleconference. Counsel are directed to 

contact the court’s Courtroom Deputy Clerk, Ms. Renee Gaumnitz, to advise that 

they will be appearing telephonically and to obtain the teleconference number and 

pass code. Petitioner’s counsel shall be prepared to discuss the due date for filing 

the federal habeas petition. Respondent’s counsel shall be prepared to discuss 

setting a date for lodging the state court record as described in Local Rule 

191(h)(1), as well as a date for filing the answer or other responsive pleading. In 

addition, counsel shall be prepared to discuss whether points and authorities 

addressing petitioner’s satisfaction of 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d) should be included in 

the pleadings. 

3. At the conclusion of the case management conference, respondent’s counsel will 

be excused and the conference will continue ex parte with counsel for petitioner 

present to discuss budgeting procedures. Appendix A to this order is a description 

of those procedures. Petitioner’s counsel shall complete the Case Evaluation Form 

and Rate Justification Worksheets for each attorney, attached hereto as 

Appendices B and C, and submit these documents to the court under seal by emailing them to the court’s Approved Sealed@ e-mail address, 

ApprovedSealed@caed.uscourts.gov, at least one week before the case 

management conference. Petitioner’s counsel shall also prepare a proposed 

budget for the first phase of the litigation, using the Capital Habeas Funding 

Application available from Ms. Kristine Fox, 9th Circuit CJA Case Managing 

Attorney, kfox@ce9.uscourts.gov, and submit the proposed budget to the court 

under seal by e-mailing it to the court’s above noted Approved Sealed@ e-mail 

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address, at least one week before the case management conference. 

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to file under seal the Selection Board’s 

November 28, 2016 letter to the court.

5. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve copies of this order on Richard G. 

Novak, 65 N. Raymond Avenue, Suite 320, Pasadena, CA 91103, (Ph.) 626-578-

1175, (Fax.) 626-685-2562, (Email) richard@rgnlaw.com; Saor E. Stetler, P.O. 

Box 2189, Mill Valley, CA 94941, (Ph.) 415-388-8924, (Fax.) 888-326-7101, 

(Email) saorstetler@me.com; Ron Davis, Warden of San Quentin State Prison, 

San Quentin, CA 94964; Amanda Diane Cary, Deputy Attorney General, 2550 

Mariposa Mall, Suite 5090, Fresno, CA 93721, (Ph.) 559-477-1682, (Email) 

amanda.cary@doj.ca.gov; and Connie Garcia, CJA Administrator, Office of the 

Federal Defender, 2300 Tulare Street, Suite 330, Fresno, CA 93721. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 29, 2016 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:16-cv-01572-DAD Document 8 Filed 11/30/16 Page 3 of 3