2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 7-15-2009 

# In Re: Ron ald J ohnson P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 09-2201

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit or y

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit or y

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j amin . C a rl s on@l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " In Re: Ron ald J o hn s on " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 995. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/995B L D - 195 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 09- 2201

___________ I N R E : RO NAL D G. J OHNS ON,

Pet i t i oner

____________________________________ O n a Pet i t i on forW r i tof M andamus fr om t he U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rtfo r th e D istri ct of D elaw are ( D . D el . C i vi l N o. 06- cv- 00240) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e Sue L. R obi ns on ( D . D el . C i v. N o. 08- cv- 00196) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le Jo sep h J. F arn an , Jr. ( D . D el . C i v. N o. 08- cv- 00479) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le Jo sep h J. F arn an , Jr.

____________________________________ Sub mi t t e d Pu r s ua ntt o Rul e 21 , Fe d. R. A pp . P.

M ay21, 2009 B efor e: M cK E E , FI SH E R and C H A G A R E S, C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: J ul y15, 2009)

_________ OP I NI ON

_________ P E R C UR I AM I n A pr i l 2009, R onal d G . J ohns on fi l ed thi s pr o s e mandam us pet i t i on s eeki ng an o rde r th at t h e D istri ct C o u rtg ran t him a jurytr ial an d sch ed u le de p o sit ion s o f th e o ff icers i nvol ved i n t he i nci dentt hatgave r i s e t o a 28 U . S. C . § 1983 ci vi l r i ght s compl ai nthe fi l ed2

i n 2006. I n M ay2009, J ohns on fi l ed an a m endment t o hi s pet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus, s eeki ng or der s fr om t hi s C our tdi r ect i ng a s econd J udge i n t he s ame D i s t r i ct C ou rtt o sched ule tri al dates i n tw o ad dit i on al and un rel at ed civi l ri gh t s cases . T he Supr eme C our thas hel d t hat“the r emedyof m andamus i s a dr as t i c one, t o be i nvoked onl yi n extr aor di narys i tuat i ons . . . onl yexce pt i onal ci r cumst ance s amount i ng t o a j udi ci al ‘ us urpat i on of pow er ’ w i l l j us t i fyt he i nvocat i on of thi s extr aor di naryr emedy . ” K errv. U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our t , 426 U . S. 394, 402 ( 1976) . I n t he habe as corpus c o n tex t, at lea st, w e h a v e e x p lain e d th a t “a t so m e p o in t, de lay by th e d istric t co u rt c o u ld become s o exce s s i ve as t o w arr antt he i s s uance of a w r i tof m andamus. ” H as s i ne v. Z im m erm an , 1 6 0 F . 3 d 9 4 1 , 9 5 4 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 8 ). I. In Jo h n so n v . A lf

re e , et. a l., D .D e l. 06 -c v -2 4 0 , Jo h n so n se e k s a n o rd e r f ro m th is C our tdi r ect i ng t he D i s t r i ctC our tt o or dert he s chedul i ng of depos i t i ons of the pol i ce offi cerdefe ndant s . I n J anuary2009, J ohns on fi l ed a N ot i ce of D epos i t i on r eques t i ng t hat t he C our tor dert he def

endantoffi cer s t o s ubm i tt o depos i t i ons . T he D i s t r i ctC our ti s s ued a sc h ed u li n g o rde r on A p ri l 21 , 2 0 0 8 , o rde ri n g d ef en d an ts t o resp o n d to Jo h n so n ’s di s coveryr eques t s . W i t h r es pectt o t he r eques t ed depos i t i ons , t he O r ders t at ed: “i n l i eu of takin g d ep o sit ion s (D . I. 7 3 ), p lai n ti ff m aysu b m it , o n o r be fo re M ay1 9 , 2 0 0 8 , n o m o re t han t en ( 10) w r i t t en ques t i ons perdefe ndant , w hi ch ques t i ons w i l l be s ubm i t t ed t o s uch i dent i fi ed depone nt s byt he courtata t i m e and pl ace t o be des i gnat ed bys ubs equent3

or der . ” To dat e, J ohns on has nots ubm i tanyw r i t t en ques t i ons fort he def endant s t o t he D istric t C o u rt. J o h n s o n a ls o s e e k s a n o rd e r d ir e c tin g th e D is tr ic t C o u rt to s c h e d u le a ju ry tria l. Jo h n so n fil ed a d em an d fo r a jurytr ial w ith the D istri ct C o u rto n A p ri l 16 , 2 0 0 9 . A m ere t en day s el aps ed betw een J ohns on’ s demand fora j ur yt r i al and hi s fi l i ng of the i ns t ant pet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus. Pr i ort o J ohns on’ s demand, t he D i s t r i ctC our ti s s ued a s chedul i ng or ders et t i ng a dea dl i ne fort he fi l i ng of di s pos i t i ve mot i ons , and on A pr i l 29, 2 0 0 9 , the D istric t C o u rt o rd e re d th e m a tter r e f e rre d to th e F e d e ra l C iv il P a n e l so th a t a l aw y ercoul d be appoi nt ed t o r epr es entJ ohns on pr o bono. I n an ac company i ng or der , t he D i s t r i ctC our ts chedul ed a t el ephone c onfer ence forJ ul y30, 2009, s o t hatfi nal p re p a ra tio n s f

o r tria l co u ld b e m a d e . A s th e D istric t C o u rt is p ro c e e d in g a p p ro p ria tely wi t h J o h n s o n ’ s c l a i ms , n o e x t r a o r d i n a r yc i r c u ms t a n c e s a r e p r e s e n th e r e . Ac c o r d i n g l y , we w ill d e n yth e p e titio n f

o r a w ri t o f

m a n d a m u s a s to th e c la im s re la tin g to J o h n s o n v . A lf re e , et. a l. II. I n J ohns on v. B i ngnear , et . al . , D . D el . 08- cv- 196, J ohns on al l eges t hathe w as s ubj ectt o a fa l s e arr es tand mal i ci ous pr os ecut i on, and thathi s ci vi l r i ght s w er e vi ol at ed as a r es ul t . T he C om pl ai ntw as fi l ed on A pr i l 7, 2008. D i s coveryhas noty etbegun and no s chedul i ng or derhas been i s s ued t o dat e. O n A pr i l 29, 2009, J ohns on fi l ed a de m and fora j ur yt r i al m ovi ng t he D i s t r i ctC our tt o s eta tr i al dat e. A m er e ni ne day s el aps ed4

betw een J ohns on’ s demand fora j ur yt r i al and hi s fi l i ng of the amendm entt o hi s pet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus. G i ven thatJ ohns on’ s demand t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our ts chedul e a t r i al dat e w as fi l ed s o r ece nt l y , w e do notfi nd t hatt her e has been a del ayt hatw arr ant s t he issua n ce o f a w ri t of

m an d am u s as to this case . W e a re c o n fid an t th at t h e D istri ct C o u rt w i l l pr om pt l ypr ocee d byi s s ui ng a s chedul i ng or der . Shoul d, how ever , no s chedul i ng or deri s s ue i n t he nextni netyday s , J ohns on m ays ubm i ta new pet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus a tt hatt i m e. III . I n J ohns on v. 6 U ni dent i fi ed C i t yof W i l m i ngt on Pol i ce O ffi cer s , D . D el . 08- cv479, i ni t i at ed byJ ohns on on A ugus t1, 2008, he compl ai ns t hathi s Four t h A m endment ri g h ts w ere v iolated w h en p o li ce o ff icers en tered h is ho m e w ith o u t perm issi o n o r a w arr antand thatt he arr es t i ng offi cer s us ed exc es s i ve for ce w hen theyarr es t ed hi m . T he pr ocedur al hi s t or yof thi s cas e mi r r or s t hatof the pr ocedur al hi s t or yi n J ohns on v. B i ngnear , et . al . . A ccor di ngl y , w e aga i n concl ude thatt her e has been no de l ayt hat w arr ant s t he i s s uance of a w r i tof m andamus a s t o t hi s cas e. W e ar e equa l l yconfi dant th a t th e D is tr ic t C o u rt w ill p ro m p tly p ro c e e d b yis s u in g a s c h e d u lin g o rd e r i n th is m a tte r. J ohns on m ay , how ever , s ubm i ta new pet i t i on fora w r i tof m andamus i f no s chedul i ng or derhas been i s s ued w i t hi n ni netyday s of thi s opi ni on.