Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03832/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03832-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ben Curry
Respondent
Justino R. Vivar
Petitioner

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JUSTINO VIVAR, 

Petitioner,

 vs.

BEN CURRY, Warden, 

Respondent.

 

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No. C 07-3832 JSW (PR)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

(Docket No. 2)

INTRODUCTION

Petitioner, a prisoner of the State of California, currently incarcerated at the

Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California, has filed a habeas corpus petition

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 challenging the decision of the Board of Parole Hearings

("BPH") (formerly the Board of Prison Terms) finding him unsuitable for parole during

parole suitability proceedings in 2005. Petitioner has also filed a motion to proceed in

forma pauperis (docket no. 2), which is now DENIED because Petitioner has ample funds

to pay the $5.00 filing fee. Petitioner is ordered to pay the filing fee within thirty days or

this case will be dismissed. 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 in Los

Angeles County Superior Court in 1984 and was sentenced to 15 years-to-life in state

prison in May 1984. In this habeas action, Petitioner does not challenge his conviction,

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but instead challenges the execution of his sentence. Petitioner contends that the denial

of parole by the BPH in May 2005 violates his federal constitutional right to due process. 

He alleges that he has exhausted state judicial remedies as to all of the claims raised in

his federal petition.

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

Petitioner alleges that his constitutional rights were violated by the finding of

parole unsuitability by the BPH in 2005. Liberally construed, the allegations are

sufficient to warrant a response from Respondent. See Board of Pardons v. Allen, 482

U.S. 369 (1987); see, e.g., Superintendent v. Hill, 472 U.S. 445 (1985); Sass v.

California Bd. of Prison Terms, 461 F.3d 1123 (9th Cir. 2006); Biggs v. Terhune, 334

F.3d 910, 915-17 (9th Cir. 2003). 

CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons and for good cause shown,

1. Petitioner is ordered to pay the $5.00 filing fee within thirty days from the date

of this order. Failure to pay the filing fee will result in the dismissal of this action. 

2. The Clerk of the Court shall serve 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. 

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

days from the date 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 his receipt of the answer.

4. 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 receipt of the motion, and Respondent shall file with the Court and serve on

Petitioner a reply within fifteen (15) days of receipt of any opposition.

5. 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: November 20, 2007 JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JUSTINO R. VIVAR,

Plaintiff,

 v.

BEN CURRY et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV07-03832 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 November 20, 2007, 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.

Justino R. Vivar

C87891

P.O. Box 689

Soledad, CA 93960

Dated: November 20, 2007

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Jennifer Ottolini, Deputy Clerk

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