(HC) Lizarraga v. U.S. District Court

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 ALBERTO LIZARRAGA, No. 1:23-cv-01543-KES-SKO (HC) 12 Petitioner, ORDER ADOPTING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13 (Doc. 7)

14 v. ORDER DISMISSING PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS AND DIRECTING 15 CLERK OF COURT TO ENTER JUDGMENT AND CLOSE CASE 16 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, ORDER DECLINING TO ISSUE 17 CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY Respondent. 18

19 20 Petitioner Alberto Lizarraga is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis 21 with a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. This matter was referred 22 to a United States magistrate judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302. 23 On November 2, 2023, the assigned magistrate judge issued findings and 24 recommendations to dismiss the petition as successive. Doc. 7. Those findings and 25 recommendations were served upon all parties and contained notice that any objections thereto 26 were to be filed within twenty-one (21) days after service. Id. at 3. No objections have been 27 filed, and the deadline to do so has expired. 28 In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), the Court has conducted a de novo review of 1 the case. Having carefully reviewed the entire file, the Court concludes that the magistrate 2 judge’s findings and recommendations are supported by the record and proper analysis. 3 In addition, the Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability. A state prisoner 4 seeking a writ of habeas corpus has no absolute entitlement to appeal a district court’s denial of 5 his petition, and an appeal is only allowed in certain circumstances. Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 6 U.S. 322, 335-336 (2003). The controlling statute in determining whether to issue a certificate of 7 appealability is 28 U.S.C. § 2253, which provides as follows:

8 (a) In a habeas corpus proceeding or a proceeding under section 2255 before a district judge, the final order shall be subject to review, on appeal, by the court of 9 appeals for the circuit in which the proceeding is held.

10 (b) There shall be no right of appeal from a final order in a proceeding to test the validity of a warrant to remove to another district or place for commitment or 11 trial a person charged with a criminal offense against the United States, or to test the validity of such person's detention pending removal proceedings. 12 (c) (1) Unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability, an 13 appeal may not be taken to the court of appeals from—

14 (A) the final order in a habeas corpus proceeding in which the detention complained of arises out of process issued by a State 15 court; or

16 (B) the final order in a proceeding under section 2255.

17 (2) A certificate of appealability may issue under paragraph (1) only if the applicant has made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional 18 right.

19 (3) The certificate of appealability under paragraph (1) shall indicate which specific issue or issues satisfy the showing required by paragraph (2). 20 21 If a court denies a petitioner’s petition, the court may issue a certificate of appealability 22 only when a petitioner makes a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 23 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). To make a substantial showing, the petitioner must establish that 24 “reasonable jurists could debate whether (or, for that matter, agree that) the petition should have 25 been resolved in a different manner or that the issues presented were ‘adequate to deserve 26 encouragement to proceed further.’” Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000) (quoting 27 Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 893 (1983)). 28 In the present case, the Court finds that Petitioner has not made the required substantial 1 | showing of the denial of a constitutional right to justify the issuance of a certificate of 2 | appealability. Reasonable jurists would not find the Court’s determination that Petitioner is not 3 | entitled to federal habeas corpus relief debatable, wrong, or deserving of encouragement to 4 | proceed further. Thus, the Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability. 5 Accordingly, 6 1. The Findings and Recommendations issued on November 2, 2023, (Doc. 7), are 7 adopted in full; 8 2. The petition for writ of habeas corpus is dismissed; 9 3. The Clerk of Court is directed to enter judgment and close the case; and 10 4. The Court declines to issue a certificate of appealability. 11 12 13 | □□ □□ SO ORDERED. _ 14 Dated: _ April 2, 2024 4h : UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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