Opinion ID: 3064892
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: February 26, 2003 to July 11, 2003

Text: Ramirez claims equitable tolling for 135 days between February 26, 2003 (when he was attacked by a fellow inmate, taken to the hospital, and subsequently placed in administrative segregation and not allowed access to his legal materials) and July 11, 2003 (when Ramirez claims he regained access to his legal materials). [2] While the district court is correct that Ramirez did “not identify a single document in storage without which he could not file a habeas petition,” we have previously held that a complete lack of access to a legal file may constitute an extraordinary circumstance, and that it is “unrealistic to expect a habeas petitioner to prepare and file a meaningful petition on his own within the limitations period without access to his legal file.” Espinoza-Matthews v. California, 432 F.3d 1021, 1027-28 (9th Cir. 2005) (internal alteration and quotations omitted). Because, according to EspinozaMatthews, Ramirez’s lack of access to his legal file may warrant equitable tolling during this period, we remand to the district court to determine whether: (1) the lack of access to his legal file made a timely filing impossible, and (2) Ramirez pursued his rights diligently.