Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_09-cv-03948/USCOURTS-cand-4_09-cv-03948-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jose Reyes Guerra
Petitioner
Larry Small
Respondent

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOSE REYES GUERRA,

Petitioner,

 v.

LARRY SMALL, Acting Warden,

Respondent. /

No. C 09-03948 CW (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Petitioner, a state prisoner, filed the present petition for a

writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. He states that

his petition for a writ of habeas corpus is still pending before

the California Supreme Court. 

The California Supreme Court's official website shows that

Petitioner's state habeas petition was filed on February 10, 2010,

and that there has not been any final decision from the California

Supreme Court. See Guerra (Jose Reyes) on H.C., Cal. S. Ct. No.

S180191.

The exhaustion requirement applicable to federal habeas

petitions is not satisfied if there is a pending post-conviction

proceeding in state court. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)-(c); Sherwood

Case 4:09-cv-03948-CW Document 2 Filed 02/25/10 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

v. Tomkins, 716 F.2d 632, 634 (9th Cir. 1983). If a postconviction challenge to a criminal conviction is pending in state

court, a potential federal habeas petitioner must await the outcome

of the challenge before his state remedies are considered

exhausted. See id. Moreover, the rule in Sherwood applies whether

or not the issue raised in the pending state petition is included

in the federal petition, see id., for the reason that a pending

state court challenge may result in the reversal of the

petitioner's conviction, thereby mooting the federal petition. See

id. (citations omitted).

As Petitioner has a petition currently pending in the

California Supreme Court, the instant petition for a writ of habeas

corpus is DISMISSED without prejudice to refiling once all state

court post-conviction challenges to Petitioner's conviction have

been completed, and all claims Petitioner wishes to raise in

federal court have been presented to the Supreme Court of

California. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)-(c); Rose v. Lundy, 455 U.S.

509, 522 (1982) (holding every claim raised in federal habeas

petition must be exhausted).

The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment and close the

file. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 2/25/10 

CLAUDIA WILKEN

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 4:09-cv-03948-CW Document 2 Filed 02/25/10 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOSE REYES GUERRA,

Plaintiff,

 v.

LARRY SMALL et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV09-03948 CW 

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 February 25, 2010, 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.

Jose Reyes Guerra F-57686

D2-136

Calipatria State Prison

P.O. Box 5002

Calipatria, CA 92233-5002

Dated: February 25, 2010

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Sheilah Cahill, Deputy Clerk

Case 4:09-cv-03948-CW Document 2 Filed 02/25/10 Page 3 of 3