N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT

STER L ING R

AY C UNIO, Pla i ntiff-Appe lla

nt,
v. KATE B R OW

N, in he r Offic ia l C a

pa c i ty a s Gove rnor of the Sta te of Ore gon; C OLETTE PETER S, in he r Offic i a l C a p a c ity a s Dire c tor of the Ore gon De pa rtm e nt of C o rre c tions; KR ISTIN A. W INGES-YANEZ, in he r Offic ia l C a p a c ity a s C ha irpe rson, Ore gon B oa rd of Pa role a nd Post-Prison Supe rvision; jointly a nd se ve ra lly ,

De fe nda n ts-Appe lle e s. No. 15-35519 D.C . No. 6:14-c v-01647-TC
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Sta t e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ore gon Thom a s M . C offin, M a gistra te Judge , Pre siding Argue d a nd Subm itte d M a y

10, 2017 Portla nd, Ore gon 

# F IL ED
J UN 13 2017 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.B e fore : B YB EE a n d HUR W ITZ, C irc u it Judge s, a

nd R AKOFF, ** Se nior Distric t Judge
. C unio a

ppe a ls the distric t c ourt’ s dism issa l of his 42 U.S.C . § 1983 c la im o n Y o u n g e r a b s t e n t i o n g r o u n d s . W e r e v i e w d e n o v o w h e t h e r Y o u n g e r a b s t e n t i o n
a p p l i e s . G r e e n v . C i t

y o f T u c s o n , 2 5 5 F
. 3 d 1 0 8 6 , 1 0 9 3 ( 9 t h C i r . 2 0 0 1 ) ( e n b a n c )
. Younge r a bste n tion is only

a ppropria te if “ the fe de ra l pla intiff is not ba rre d from litiga ting fe d e ra l c onstitutiona

l issue s in the sta

t e proc e e ding.” San J

ose Silic on Valle

y C h a mbe r of C

omme rc e Politic al Ac tion C omm. v . C

ity of San J

ose , 546 F.3d 1087, 1092 (9th C ir. 2008). The pe nding proc e e d ing be fore the Ore gon C ourt of Appe a ls doe s not provide C unio “ a n

a de qua te opportunity

to ra ise his fe de ra l c o nstitutiona

l c la im s.” Me re dith v . Ore gon , 321 F.3d 807, 818 (9th C ir. 2003). Tha

t proc e e ding only

a ddre sse s the 48-y e a r m inim um se nte nc e im

pose d by the O re gon B oa

rd of Parole and Post-Prison Supe rvision (“ Pa role B oa rd” ) in 2012 for C unio’ s hom i c ide offe nse s. Se e Or. R e v . Sta t. § 144.335 (c ha lle nging fina l orde rs of the Pa role B oa

rd). Ore gon la

w re quire d C unio to c ha lle n ge the 23-y e a r portion of his de te rm inate guide line s se nte nc e for his non-hom ic ide offe nse s in
se pa ra te proc e e d ings. S

e e Or. R e v. Stat. §§ 138.050 (dire c t a p pe a l), 138.510–680 (post-c onvic tion re lie f). None of the se proc e e d ings provide d C unio a n “ a de quate ”

* * The Honora

ble Je d S. R a koff, Se n ior Unite d State s Distric t Judge for the Southe rn Distric t of Ne w York, sitting by de signa t ion. 2a nd “ full a

nd fa ir” opportunity

to c ha lle nge the c om

bine d e ffe c t

of his se nte nc e s a s
a de fa c to life se nte nc e without pa role , or to c ha lle nge the c onstitutiona lity of Ore gon’ s bifurc a te d se nte nc ing sc he m e for juve nile s c onvic te d of hom ic ide and non-hom ic ide c rim e s in a single judgm e nt. Me re dith , 321 F.3d a t 818–19. The distric t c o urt the re fore should not ha ve a b sta ine d
. RE V E RSE D.

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