Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-02539/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-02539-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Fidel C. Hernandez
Petitioner
Mathew Kremer
Respondent

Document Text:

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FIDEL C. HERNANDEZ, 

Petitioner,

 vs.

MATHEW KREMER, Warden, 

Respondent.

 

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No. C 08-2539 JSW (PR)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE 

INTRODUCTION

Petitioner, a prisoner of the State of California, has filed a habeas corpus petition

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 challenging the constitutional validity of his state court

conviction. Petitioner has paid the filing fee. This order directs Respondent to show cause

why the petition should not be granted.

BACKGROUND

According to the petition, Petitioner was convicted of second degree murder plus

use of a weapon in Santa Clara Superior Court. The trial court sentenced him on

December 2, 2005, to a term of 15 years to life in state prison. Petitioner’s appeal to the

California Court of Appeal was denied. The California Supreme Court denied Petitioner’s 

petition for review in 2007. Petitioner subsequently filed state collateral challenges to the

conviction. Finally, he filed the instant federal habeas petition on May 20, 2008. 

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DISCUSSION

I Standard of Review

This court may entertain a petition for a writ of habeas corpus “in behalf of a person

in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court only on the ground that he is in

custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States.” 28 U.S.C.

§ 2254(a). 

It shall “award the writ or issue an order directing the respondent to show cause

why the writ should not be granted, unless it appears from the application that the applicant

or person detained is not entitled thereto.” Id. § 2243. 

II Legal Claims

The petition raises the following ground for relief: (1) Petitioner’s statement was

coerced and was taken in violation of his Miranda rights; (2) the admission of a witnesses

statement violated his confrontation rights; (3) the admission of the testimony of three

witnesses deemed unavailable without adequate investigation violated his confrontation

rights; (4) there was insufficient evidence to sustain the convictions; (5) prosecutorial

misconduct; (6) ineffective assistance of trial counsel; and (7) ineffective assistance of

appellate counsel. Petitioner’s request for an evidentiary hearing is denied without

prejudice to the Court’s sua sponte reconsideration when considering the merits of the

petition. Liberally construed, it does not appear from the face of the petition that

Petitioner is not entitled to relief on his claims. Accordingly, Respondent is ordered to

respond to the petition as set forth below.

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. The Clerk shall serve by certified mail a copy of this order and the petition, and

all attachments thereto, on Respondent and Respondent's attorney, the Attorney General of

the State of California. The Clerk also shall serve a copy of this order on Petitioner. 

2. Respondent shall file with the Court and serve on Petitioner, within sixty (60)

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days of the issuance of this order, an answer conforming in all respects to Rule 5 of the

Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases, showing cause why a writ of habeas corpus should

not be granted. Respondent shall file with the answer and serve on Petitioner a copy of all

portions of the state trial record that have been transcribed previously and that are relevant

to a determination of the issues presented by the petition. If Petitioner wishes to respond

to the answer, he shall do so by filing a traverse with the Court and serving it on

Respondent within thirty (30) days of the date the answer is filed.

3. Respondent may file a motion to dismiss on procedural grounds in lieu of an

answer, as set forth in the Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing

Section 2254 Cases. If Respondent files such a motion, Petitioner shall file with the Court

and serve on Respondent an opposition or statement of non-opposition within thirty (30)

days of the date the motion is filed, and Respondent shall file with the Court and serve on

Petitioner a reply within fifteen (15) days the date the opposition is filed.

4. It is Petitioner’s responsibility to prosecute this case. Petitioner must keep 

the Court informed of any change of address by filing a separate paper captioned “Notice

of Change of Address.” He must comply with the Court’s orders in a timely fashion. 

Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of this action for failure to prosecute pursuant

to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 1, 2008 JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FIDEL C. HERNANDEZ,

Plaintiff,

 v.

MATHEW KREMER et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV08-02539 JSW 

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 October 1, 2008, 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.

Fidel C. Hernandez

Folsom State Prison

Prisoner Id F-09157

P.O. Box 950

B1-C5-02

Folsom, CA 95763

Dated: October 1, 2008

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Jennifer Ottolini, Deputy Clerk

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