Ignacio Canela v. W. L. Montgomery

District Court, S.D. California·Decided March 21, 2023·No. 3:19-cv-01434-GPC-MSB·Unknown

Opinion

IGNACIO CANELA Case No.: 19cv1434-GPC(MSB)

Petitioner, ORDER DENYING PETITIONER’S v. MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE OBJECTIONS; KATHLEEN ALLISON, Secretary, ADOPTING MAGISTRATE JUDGE Respondent. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION; AND DENYING PETITIONER’S MOTION FOR STAY AND ABEYANCE

[ECF Nos. 57, 71] This case involves a habeas corpus petition filed by Petitioner Ignacio Canela (“Petitioner” or “Canela”) on July 17, 2019 in the Central District of California. On July 30, 2019, after the case was transferred to the Southern District of California, it was referred to Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg for all preliminary matters pursuant to Civil LR 72.1(d). ECF Nos. 5, 6. Before the Court is Petitioner’s Motion for Stay and Abeyance to Exhaust Unexhausted Claims that was referred to Magistrate Judge Berg for preparation of a Report and Recommendation. ECF No. 57. On April 29, 2022, Respondent Kathleen Allison (“Respondent” or “Allison”) filed a Response, (ECF No. 60), and on May 25, 2022, Petitioner filed a Reply, (ECF No. 63). Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg issued a Report and Recommendation. ECF No. 64. Objections were due on or before July 1, 2022. Id. Petitioner subsequently filed four Motions for Extension of Time to File Objections. See ECF Nos. 65, 67, 69, 71. Magistrate Judge Berg granted the first three. See ECF Nos. 66, 68, 70. Pending before this Court is the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation on the Motion for Stay and Abeyance and the fourth motion for extension of time to file objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Report. For the reasons stated below, the Court DENIES Petitioner’s fourth Motion for Extension of Time to File Objections, ADOPTS the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation in full, and DENIES Petitioner’s Motion for a Stay and Abeyance. On June 2, 2016, a jury found Petitioner guilty of various state criminal offenses, including attempted premeditated murder of a peace officer and several drug and firearm- related offenses. See ECF No. 14-38 at 114–16. Though initially represented by counsel, the state court granted Canela’s motion for self-representation on June 5, 2015. ECF 14- 45 at 18–19. On January 5, 2016, the court revoked Canela’s self-representation status and reappointed counsel over Canela’s objection. Id. at 30–35. Appointed counsel ultimately represented Canela at trial, where the jury found him guilty on almost all counts. See ECF 14-40 at 37, 6–9. Petitioner was sentenced to fourteen years plus forty years to life. Id. at 9. Petitioner timely appealed, alleging that the state trial court violated his right to represent himself under Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806 (1975). ECF No. 14-40 at 23–24. On January 16, 2018, the California Fourth Appellate District affirmed Petitioner’s conviction, and on April 11, 2018, the California Supreme Court denied review. ECF Nos. 14-45, 14-49. On July 10, 2019, Canela filed in this Court a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (“Petition”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 alleging that the state court violated his constitutional rights when it revoked his self-representation status. ECF No. 1. On October 10, 2019, Respondent filed an answer and a 3900-page lodgment of the state court record. ECF No. 13, 14. Magistrate Judge Berg then granted Petitioner thirteen traverse deadline extensions, extending the deadline from November 27, 2019, to April 6, 2022. ECF No. 9, 15–16, 18, 21–33, 37–43, 46, 52, 54. Petitioner has yet to file a traverse. On April 5, 2022, Petitioner filed the instant Motion for Stay and Abeyance to Exhaust Unexhausted Claims asking this Court to stay the Petition while he brings two additional state court claims: ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. ECF No. 57. On June 17, 2022, Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg issued a Report and Recommendation recommending this Court deny Petitioner’s pending Motion for Stay and Abeyance. ECF No. 64. Judge Berg granted Petitioner three extensions of time to file an objection to the Report. See ECF Nos. 66, 68, 70. On September 21, 2022, Petitioner requested an additional 90-day extension to file objections. ECF No. 71. In view of the above procedural history, three issues are currently before the Court: (1) Petitioner’s Motion for Stay and Abeyance; (2) Petitioner’s request for additional time to file an objection to the Report; and (3) Petitioner’s traverse. In reviewing a magistrate judge’s report and recommendation, a district court “may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate.” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). If objections are made, the Court reviews the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations de novo. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C). If no objection is filed, the Court may assume the correctness of the magistrate judge’s findings of fact and decide the motion on the applicable law. Campbell v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 501 F.2d 196, 206 (9th Cir. 1974). I. Petitioner’s Motion for Extension of Time to File Objection On June 17, 2022, Magistrate Judge Berg issued a Report and Recommendation and directed any party to file an objection “no later than July 1, 2022.” ECF No. 64 at 17. Petitioner then requested three different extensions, all of which the Court granted. See ECF Nos. 65–70. Petitioner’s first request asked for a 30-day extension “in order to file his[] ‘Objections To Report And Recommendation.’” ECF No. 65 at 1. Petitioner stated a general intent to file an objection, but he did not make any specific objection to any particular portion of the R&R. Id. The Court ultimately granted the first request for extension but advised Canela that: considering his extensive history of continuances and the age of this case, the Court will not grant further extensions of time without a more particularized showing than the one in his [first extension request]. If Petitioner seeks additional time in the future, he should indicate what steps he has taken to complete any objections he wishes to file and precisely what he needs to complete and file the same. ECF No. 66 at 2 (emphasis added). Petitioner’s second request also asked for a 30-day extension “in order to file his ‘Objections To Report And Recommendation’” on the grounds that he only had the opportunity to visit the law library two times for a total of four hours of research. ECF No. 67 at 1. However, Petitioner again failed to specify any particularized objection grounds and did not note precisely what he needed to research, as the Court made clear it would require for any additional extensions. ECF No. 68 at 2. The Court still partially granted the extension, giving Petitioner an additional 21 days, until August 22, 2022. Id. Petitioner’s third request concerned a substantial delay that would have precluded his ability issue an objection within the second extension’s allotted time frame. See ECF No. 69. It appears there was a clerical error and Petitioner did not receive the Order granting an extension until August 25, 2022, which was after the new deadline had expired. ECF No. 70 at 2. Notably, Petitioner’s third request again failed to explain which “issues he needs to conduct legal research on before he can determine whether or what objections to file.” Id. However, the Court granted Petitioner’s third extension request, finding the mail delay constituted good cause for an extension. Id. Now before the Court is Petitioner’s fourth deadline extension request. ECF No. 71. Canela

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