In Re: Named Involuntary Steven Wayne Bonilla

United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. California·Decided August 22, 2019·No. 19-00202·Unknown

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA In re ) Misc. File No. 19-202 ) Named Involuntary Petitioner ) ) ) ) REVIEW OF RESPONSIVE PLEADINGS Steven Wayne Bonilla delivered to the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California ninety-eight (98) Bankruptcy Form 105s (involuntary bankruptcy petition forms) (Dckt. 3-93, 101- 107), seeking to commence ninety-eight involuntary bankruptcy cases in the Eastern District of California against various federal and state court judges and justices. Because of facially identified issues relating to the Form 105s, including whether Mr. Bonilla had standing to commence such involuntary cases, and no filing fee for the Form 105s presented being paid, the court issued an order creating this miscellaneous case file, No. 19-202 (“Miscellaneous File”), in Mr. Bonilla’s name so that all of the Form 105s could be docketed in one place. The Miscellaneous File also affords Mr. Bonilla the opportunity to present a unified response, rather than ninety-eight separate responses. Additionally, to the extent that Mr. Bonilla would disagree with whatever ruling was made by this court, the creation of the Miscellaneous File and the unified response provides for a single appeal which Mr. Bonilla would have the option of pursuing, rather than ninety-eight separate appeals. In the Court’s Order to open the Miscellaneous File (Dckt. 1), it provided for Mr. Bonilla to file responsive pleadings addressing the various issues in the Court’s Order. Mr. Bonilla has availed himself of the opportunity and presented the court with the following pleadings: A. Response to 6-19-19 Court Order, Dckt. 99 (“Response,” 37 pages). B. Exhibits from State Court Proceedings, Dckt. 100 (“Exhibits,” 68 pages). C. Addendum re “Honorary Obligation,” Dckt. 108 (“Addendum,” 15 pages). D. Additional Grounds Statement, Dckt. 114 (“Additional Statement,” 3 pages). E. Response re California Judicial Council, Dckt. 115 (“Response to Supplemental Docketing Order,” 10 pages). Applications to Proceed in Forma Paupris Mr. Bonilla has filed five Applications to Proceed in Forma Pauperis. Dckt. 95–98. The Application filed as Docket Number 95 is a partial document, consisting of only one page. Dckt. 95. The other four Applications appear to be complete documents, with three being seven pages in length and one (Dckt. 98) eight pages in length. In the attachments to these documents, Mr. Bonilla states that he is not employed and currently has no income. Further, he has no spouse, no assets, and no monthly expenses. The eight-page Application has as its cover page one titled for the U.S. District Court or Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of California. Dckt. 98 at 1. The second page of this document is another “first page” of the Application which is titled as being made to the Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, San Fernando Division. Id. at 2. The Application filed as Dckt. 96 is titled as requesting the relief from the Bankruptcy Court in the Central District, Riverside Division. BANKRUPTCY COURT, BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, AND FEDERAL JURISDICTION REGARDING BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS In beginning this review it is very important to put in context the position of the bankruptcy court and bankruptcy judges. The bankruptcy court and bankruptcy judges have been created by Congress pursuant to Article I of the United States Constitution. While organizationally part of the United States district court, the bankruptcy court is not an Article III court under the United States Constitution. The scope of a bankruptcy court proceeding and exercise of a bankruptcy judge’s judicial authority exists only to the extent as provided in 28 U.S.C. § 1334 (federal court bankruptcy jurisdiction) and § 157 (exercise of federal judicial power by a bankruptcy judge). This judicial power may properly be exercised over bankruptcy cases and civil proceedings arising under the Bankruptcy Code, as well as those arising in and related to a bankruptcy case. Mr. Bonilla has provided the court with significant information concerning his state court criminal proceeding, the asserted defects in the conviction, and various theories and authorities by which he asserts his rights have been denied. That information is relevant to considering whether standing exists for Mr. Bonilla asserting the right to commence the involuntary bankruptcy cases. However, 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and § 157 limit the scope of an Article I bankruptcy judge’s exercise of federal judicial power to those bankruptcy issues, and not to the full breadth of the federal judicial power arising under Article III of the United States Constitution (for which it is the Article III District Court judges, Court of Appeals judges, and Supreme Court justices whom may exercise that full power). The Response indicates that Mr. Bonilla appreciates this distinction and is seeking to present the “bankruptcy law issues” to this Article I court and not attempting to have this court act outside its jurisdiction and judicial power granted to it by Congress. To the extent the court has misread Mr. Bonilla’s statements, this discussion has been included to explain the limitation on this court’s powers with respect to the broader range of Mr. Bonilla’s issues with the judicial system. Involuntary Bankruptcy Petition Provisions Congress has provided a process under the Bankruptcy Code by which creditors of a person may force that person into bankruptcy with the “mere” filing of an involuntary bankruptcy petition by the creditors. In pertinent part to the matters now before the court, 11 U.S.C. § 303 (discussed in greater detail infra) provides that three or more creditors of a person may commence an involuntary bankruptcy case if they collectively hold at least $15,750.00 in liquidated, noncontingent, not subject to bona fide dispute unsecured debt. If the person for whom the involuntary bankruptcy case is to be commenced has less than twelve creditors with such claims, then a single creditor who meets the above criteria may commence the involuntary bankruptcy case. Here, it is only Mr. Bonilla who is filing the Form 105s as the sole creditor seeking to force the Form 105 Targets into bankruptcy. Presumably, Mr. Bonilla is asserting that each of the Form 105 Targets have less than twelve creditors each. The actual number of creditors holding unsecured claims is unknown at this time. FEE WAIVER/IN FORMA PAUPERIS REQUESTS With the responsive pleadings Mr. Bonilla has included five fee waiver requests. As discussed below, Mr. Bonilla is now seeking to pursue only ninety-eight involuntary bankruptcy cases. Mr. Bonilla directs the court to the provision of 28 U.S.C. § 1930 (which specifies required filing fees in bankruptcy cases) and asserts that the district court and the bankruptcy court are not restricted in waiving the filing fees, so long as it is in accordance with Judicial Conference policy. Response, pp. 28:23-28, 29:1-15; Dckt. 99. He then directs the court to consider 28 U.S.C. § 1915 which provides for Prisoner’s Application to Proceed in Forma Paupers. Congress provides in 28 U.S.C. § 1930(a)(1)(A) the required filing fees for bankruptcy cases, which for a Chapter 7 case is $245.00 (to which is added an administrative fee). In 28 U.S.C. §

In Re: Named Involuntary Steven Wayne Bonilla, (Cal. 2019).

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