(HC) Machuca v. Spearman

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedAugust 12, 2020
Docket2:19-cv-01257
StatusUnknown

This text of (HC) Machuca v. Spearman ((HC) Machuca v. Spearman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
(HC) Machuca v. Spearman, (E.D. Cal. 2020).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 ALEJANDRO MACHUCA, No. 2:19-cv-01257 KJM AC P 12 Petitioner, 13 v. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 14 M. ELIOT SPEARMAN, Warden, 15 Respondent. 16 17 I. Introduction 18 Petitioner Alejandro Machuca is a state prisoner incarcerated at High Desert State Prison 19 (HDSP), under the authority of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 20 (CDCR). Petitioner proceeds pro se and in forma pauperis with this habeas corpus action filed 21 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. See ECF No. 1. This case challenges a February 17, 2012 22 administrative disciplinary decision finding petitioner guilty of “Battery on [an] Inmate with 23 Weapon Requiring Use of Force,” a Division A-1 offense that resulted in petitioner’s forfeiture of 24 360 days good time credits and placement in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) for fifteen months. 25 See ECF No. 1 at 25; see also Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15, § 3323(b)(4). Petitioner claims that he was 26 denied due process because there was insufficient evidence to support the guilty finding. He 27 seeks an order of this court directing CDCR to modify the disciplinary finding to “Participation in 28 //// 1 a Riot,” a Division D offense subject to no more than 90 days credit forfeiture. See ECF No. 1 at 2 7; see also Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15, § 3323(f)(2). 3 Presently pending is respondent’s motion to dismiss this action on the ground it was 4 commenced beyond the one-year limitations period established by the Antiterrorism and Effective 5 Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d). ECF No. 11. Petitioner opposes the motion 6 on the ground that he is “actually innocent” of the disciplinary charge for which he was convicted 7 (a claim also advanced in his petition), which he contends entitles him to an equitable exception 8 to AEDPA’s statute of limitations. ECF No. 15. Respondent has filed a reply. ECF No. 18. 9 This matter is referred to the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 10 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302(c). For the following reasons, the undersigned 11 recommends that respondent’s motion to dismiss be granted. 12 II. Chronology 13 The following dates and record facts are pertinent to the court’s analysis. 14 • Petitioner is serving a 14-year determinate prison sentence following his 2011 trial court 15 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon with a firearm enhancement. Rp. Ex. A (Abstract of 16 Judgment) (ECF No. 11-1 at 2). 17 • On February 17, 2012, petitioner was found guilty in a prison disciplinary proceeding of 18 “Battery on [an] Inmate with Weapon Requiring Use of Force,” a Division A-1 offense resulting 19 in a forfeiture of 360 days behavior credits. Pr. Ex. 1 (ECF No. 1 at 25). 20 • Petitioner challenged his disciplinary conviction through the prison administrative 21 grievance process as follows: 22 • Petitioner submitted Inmate Appeal Log No. CBU-C-12-0714 on March 23 26, 2012; First Level Review was bypassed. Pr. Ex. 4 (ECF No. 1 at 34-7). 24 • Petitioner’s appeal was denied on Second Level Review on April 11, 25 2012. Pr. Ex. 5 (ECF No. 1 at 39-42). 26 • Petitioner did not exhaust his appeal at final Third Level Review (TLR), 27 despite his repeated efforts. See Petition (ECF No. 1 at 18-20 and petitioner’s exhibits 28 cited therein). Petitioner’s appeal was initially rejected on TLR, on July 13, 2012, for 1 missing supporting documentation. Pr. Ex. 6 (ECF No. 1 at 36, 44). Petitioner’s request 2 for extended time was denied on September 6, 2012, but he was advised to provide a 3 supported explanation of the reasons for his delay when he resubmitted his appeal. Pr. Ex. 4 7 (ECF No. 1 at 46). Petitioner’s efforts to obtain an official statement in support of his 5 delay were unsuccessful and petitioner decided that further pursuit of his appeal would be 6 futile. ECF No. 1 at 19, 48. 7 • Petitioner next challenged his disciplinary conviction in the state courts, as set forth 8 below:1 9 • On September 12, 2017,2 petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas 10 corpus in the Sacramento County Superior Court (Case No. 17HC00370). Rp. Ex. C 11 (ECF No. 11-3 at 2-228). On October 25, 2017, the Superior Court denied the petition as 12 procedurally barred based on untimeliness and failure to exhaust administrative remedies. 13 Rp Ex. D (ECF No. 11-4 at 2-5). 14 • On November 27, 2017, petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas 15 corpus in the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District (Case No. C086052). 16 Rp. Ex. E (ECF No. 12-1 at 2-135). On December 14, 2017, the petition was summarily 17 denied. Rp Ex. F (ECF No. 12-2 at 2). 18 • On September 10, 2018, petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas 19 corpus in the California Supreme Court (Case No. S251269). Rp. Ex. G (ECF No. 12-3 at 20 1 In addition to the court’s own docket and the exhibits provided by the parties, this court has 21 reviewed petitioner’s cases as reflected in the Case Information website operated by the California Supreme Court. See http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search. This court may take 22 judicial notice of its own records and the records of other courts. See United States v. Howard, 23 381 F.3d 873, 876 n.1 (9th Cir. 2004); United States v. Wilson, 631 F.2d 118, 119 (9th Cir. 1980); see also Fed. R. Evid. 201 (court may take judicial notice of facts that are capable of 24 accurate determination by sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned). 2 To the extent practicable, plaintiff’s filing dates referenced herein are based on the prison 25 mailbox rule, pursuant to which a document is deemed served or filed on the date it was signed by 26 the prisoner and given to prison officials for mailing. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266 (1988) (establishing prison mailbox rule); Campbell v. Henry, 614 F.3d 1056, 1059 (9th Cir. 2010) 27 (applying the mailbox rule to both state and federal filings by incarcerated inmates). In the instant case, petitioner signed his Superior Court petition on August 27, 2017, but did not submit it for 28 mailing until September 12, 2017. See ECF No. 11-3 at 7-8. 1 2-41). On February 20, 2019, the petition was summarily denied. Rp. Ex. H (ECF No. 2 12-4 at 2). 3 • Petitioner also sought to pursue a petition for review in the California 4 Supreme Court that was rejected as untimely. Rp. Ex. G (ECF No. 12-3 at 34-41). 5 • Petitioner filed the instant federal petition on July 2, 2019. 6 III. Discussion 7 A. Statute of Limitations 8 1. Legal Standards 9 A respondent’s motion to dismiss, after the court has ordered a response, is reviewed 10 pursuant to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the United States District 11 Courts. See O’Bremski v. Maass, 915 F.2d 418, 420 (9th Cir. 1990) (citing White v. Lewis, 874 12 F.2d 599, 602-03 (9th Cir. 1989)).

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(HC) Machuca v. Spearman, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hc-machuca-v-spearman-caed-2020.