Mitchell v. Jackson

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE

JAMES MITCHELL, CASE NO. C20-5623JLR Petitioner, ORDER v. ERIC JACKSON, Respondent.

This matter comes before the court on remand from the Ninth Circuit. (See 9th Cir. Order (Dkt. # 24).) On December 1, 2020, the court adopted Magistrate Judge J. Richard Creatura’s report and recommendation recommending that the court deny Petitioner James Mitchell’s 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus and entered a judgment denying Mr. Mitchell’s petition. (See R&R (Dkt. # 11); 1/1/20 Order (Dkt. # 14); Judgment (Dkt. # 15).) Mr. Mitchell appealed the court’s denial of his habeas petition. (Not. of Appeal (Dkt. # 16).) While the appeal was pending, Mr. Mitchell’s counsel moved to voluntarily dismiss the appeal because Mr. Mitchell had passed away. (See 9th Cir. Order.) The Ninth Circuit granted Mr. Mitchell’s counsel’s motion to dismiss, dismissed Mr. Mitchell’s appeal as moot, and remanded the case to

this court “for further proceedings as may be required, including vacatur of prior orders and dismissal of the petition as moot.” (Id. (first citing McMann v. Ross, 396 U.S. 118 (1969) (per curiam); and then citing United States v. Orona, 987 F.3d 892, 893 (9th Cir. 2021)).) Pursuant to the Ninth Circuit’s remand order, the court VACATES its prior order (Dkt. # 14) and judgment (Dkt. # 15) denying Mr. Mitchell’s habeas petition,

DISMISSES Mr. Mitchell’s habeas petition (Dkt. # 1) as moot, and DIRECTS the Clerk to close this case. Dated this 18th day of February, 2022. A United States District Judge