N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
In re : M IC HAEL STEVEN W R IGHT,

______________________________ M IC HAEL STEVEN W R IGHT,

Pe t i tione r,
v. UNITED STATES DISTRIC T C OUR T FOR THE DISTR IC T OF HAWAII, R e sponde nt, UNITED STATES OF AM ER IC A,

R e a l Party in Inte re st. No. 18-72952 D.C . No. 1:15-c r-00171-DKW -1
M EM O R ANDUM *

Pe tition for W

rit of M anda

m u s to the Unite d State s Distric t

C ourt for the Distric t of Ha

wa ii Subm itte d April 19, 2019 ** Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia 

# FIL ED APR 23 2019 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, 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.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2).B e fore : B EA a nd SM ITH, C irc uit Judge s, a nd M AR QUEZ, * ** Distric t Judge
. M ic ha e l Wright (W

right” ) wa s c onvic te d of posse ssion with inte nt to distributem e tha

m phe tam ine in viola

tion of 21 U.S.C . §841(a )(1) and (b)(1)(C ) and
re c e ive d a

se nte nc e of 24 m onths in prison. Prior to his se lf-surre n de r da te , Wright file d a 28 U.S.C . § 2255 m otion in district c ourt to se t a side his se nte nc e , a

nd he
a lso m o ve d to re m a in re le a se d on ba il pe nding a

de c ision on his § 2255 m otion. The distric t c ourt de nie d Wright’ s ba il m otion a nd sta te d it “ la c ke d c l e ar le ga l
a uthority ” to gra

nt ba il while a

§ 2255 m otion is pe nding. W right the n pe titione d this c ourt for a writ of m an dam us, a sking this c ourt to dire c t the distric t

c ourt to re a c h

the m e rits of his bail m otion. Thedistric t c ourt ha s sinc e de nie d Wright’ s § 2255 m otion. B e c a use the distric t c ourt ha s de n ie d his § 2255 m otion, it is no longe r possible for this c ourt to gra nt W right the re lie f he
re que s ts. W right a sse rts his pe tition for a writ of m anda m us is m oot. Ne ve rthe l e ss, the Gove rnm e nt a

rgue s the pe tition is not m oot, a s this issue

is c a pa ble of re pe tition while e va ding re vie w. For this issue to a ffe c t Wright in the future , he would ha ve to c o m ple te his se nte n c e , be re le a se d, be re -arre ste d a nd a llowe d ba il, be c onvic te d,

* * * The Honora

ble R ose m ary

M arque z , Unite d State s Distric t Judge for the D istric t of Ariz ona , sitting by de signa t ion. 2ide n tify

grounds for § 2255 re lie f and file a m otion, a nd m o ve to be a llowe d to
re m a in on ba i l pe nding re vie w of his § 2255 m otion. This is too spe c ulat ive
. In Alv are z v . Smith , 558 U.S. 87, 130 S. C t. 576, 175 L. Ed. 2d 447 (2009), the C ourt he ld six plaintiffs c l a im ing Illinois ha d insuffic i e nt proc e dure s for
c onte sting wa

rra ntle ss prope rty

se iz ure s no longe r ha d a

n a c tua l c a se or c ontrove rsy

be c a use a ll six se ttle d the ir prope rty dispute s with the sta

te prior to
ora l argum e nt a

nd nothing sugge ste d the sa m e pla intiffs would like ly be subje c t to the Illinois se iz ure proc e d ure s a ga i n. Id . at 93. In C ity of Los Ange le

s v . Ly o ns , 461 U.S. 95, 109 S. C t. 1660, 75 L. Ed. 2d 675 (1983), the C o urt he ld the pla intiff did not m e e t the c a se or c ontrove rsy re quire m e nt for e q

u ita ble re lie f be c a

use the risk he would be subje c te d to the sa m e injury in the future wa s too spe c u lative and “ the
c a pa ble -of-re pe tition doc trine a pplie s only

in e x c e p tiona l situa

tions, a nd ge ne ra lly only whe re the nam e d pla intiff c an m ake a re a sona b le showing tha

t he will a ga in be subje c te d to the a lle g e d ille ga lity .” Id . at 109. He re , the like lihood W right would be subje c t a ga in to this sa m e issue is too spe c ulative . The Gove rnm e n t is
m e re ly se e king a n a dvisory

opinion. PE T IT IO N FO R W RIT O F M ANDAM US DE N IE D AS M O O T .

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