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ORDER OF TRANSFER

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

AT SEATTLE

PRIESTLEY THOMPSON, )

)

Petitioner, )

) Case No. C05-1560-RSL-JPD

v. )

)

KENNETH QUINN, ) ORDER OF TRANSFER

)

Respondent. )

____________________________________)

Petitioner is a state prisoner who is currently incarcerated at the Monroe Correctional

Complex in Monroe, Washington. He has submitted to this Court for review a document entitled

“Motion to Vacate Judgement Sentence and Conviction” in which he requests that his 2000 King

County Superior Court judgment and sentence be vacated because the Washington Court of

Appeals issued an unlawful mandate in connection with that case. Petitioner asserts that this Court

has jurisdiction over his motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.

However, the Ninth Circuit has made clear that § 2254 is the exclusive avenue for a state

prisoner to challenge the constitutionality of his detention when the prisoner is in custody pursuant

to a state court judgment White v. Lambert, 370 F.3d 1002, 1007 (9th Cir. 2004). Because

petitioner is seeking a determination in these proceedings that his state court judgment and sentence

is unconstitutional, his petition must be construed as one brought pursuant to § 2254.

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ORDER OF TRANSFER

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A review of this Court’s records reveals that petitioner has filed at least five previous

federal habeas petitions challenging his 2000 King County Superior Court conviction. (See C03-

1327MJP, C04-473JCC, C04-477MJP, C04-745JCC, and C04-2363RSM.) The first of those

petitions was denied on the merits and dismissed by the Court in January 2004. (See C03-

1327MJP.) Three of the remaining four petitions were deemed successive and were transferred to

the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. (See C04-473JCC, C04-477MJB, and C04-2363RSM.) The

petition filed under cause number C04-745JCC was dismissed because petitioner failed to state any

specific grounds for federal habeas relief.

Because the instant petition must be construed as a petition filed pursuant to § 2254, and

because petitioner has filed several previous petitions challenging the same conviction, including

one which was denied on the merits, the instant petition must be deemed successive. As petitioner

has previously been advised, this Court is without jurisdiction to consider a successive petition or

motion until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has authorized its filing. 28 U.S.C. §

2244(b)(3)(A). Accordingly, this case is hereby TRANSFERRED to the Ninth Circuit Court of

Appeals, in the interests of justice, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1631. 

The Clerk is directed to close this case and to transfer all original documents to the Ninth

Circuit Court of Appeals. The Clerk shall, however, retain a copy of the motion and of this Order

in the file. The Clerk is further directed to send a copy of this Order to petitioner and to the

Honorable James P. Donohue.

DATED this 30th day of September, 2005.

A

Robert S. Lasnik

United States District Judge 

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ORDER OF TRANSFER

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Recommended for Entry this 

29th day of September, 2005.

/s/ JAMES P. DONOHUE

United States Magistrate Judge

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