(PC)Azevedo v. United States Eastern District Courts of California

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 2, 2025
Docket1:24-cv-01404
StatusUnknown

This text of (PC)Azevedo v. United States Eastern District Courts of California ((PC)Azevedo v. United States Eastern District Courts of California) 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
(PC)Azevedo v. United States Eastern District Courts of California, (E.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10

11 ALEX LEONARD AZEVEDO, ) Case No.: 1: 24-cv-01404 JLT ) 12 Plaintiff, ) ORDER ADOPTING FINDINGS AND ) RECOMMENDATIONS, DENYING PLAINTIFF’S 13 v. ) APPLICATION TO PROCEED IN FORMA ) PAUPERIS, AND DIRECTING PLAINTIFF TO 14 UNITED STATES EASTERN DISTRICT ) PAY THE FILING FEE WITHIN 30 DAYS COURTS OF CALIFORNIA, ) 15 ) (Docs. 2, 5) Defendant. ) 16 )

17 Alex Leonard Azevedo seeks to hold the Eastern District Court liable for unspecified 18 violations of his civil rights, asserting a belief that his cases are not “being taken seriously or 19 investigated,” with nine identified civil rights and habeas actions. (Doc. 1 at 3, 4-7.) Azevedo 20 requests to proceed in forma pauperis with this action. (Doc. 2.) For the reasons set forth below, the 21 motion is DENIED and Azevedo shall pay the filing fee to proceed with this action. 22 I. Findings and Recommendations 23 The magistrate judge found that “[a] review of the actions filed by Plaintiff” shows that he has 24 at least four qualifying strikes under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, including the following actions: 25 1. Azevedo v. Thompson, et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-01262-MCE-EFB (E.D. Cal. April 10, 2018) (dismissed for failure to state a claim at screening); 26 2. Azevedo v. Colusa County Jail et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-00472-JAM-AC 27 (E.D. Cal. Feb. 21, 2018) (dismissed for failure to state a claim at screening); 28 3. Azevedo v. Smith, et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-01214-TLN-AC (E.D. Cal. 1 Aug. 9, 2016) (dismissed for failure to state a claim at screening); and

2 4. Azevedo v. Smith, et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-2809-JAM-EFB (E.D. Cal. Dec. 11, 2017) (dismissed for failure to state a claim). 3

4 (Doc. 5 at 2.) In addition, the magistrate judge found the allegations in the complaint did not support a 5 conclusion that Azevedo was in “imminent danger of serious physical injury at the time of filing.” (Id. 6 at 3.) Rather, the magistrate judge observed that the allegations focused upon past litigation in the 7 Sacramento Division of this Court, because Azevedo asserted that his cases were “being closed either 8 the very same day its being filed or decided the very next day.” (Id.) Therefore, the magistrate judge 9 recommended the Court deny the application to proceed in forma pauperis and direct Azevedo to pay 10 the filing fee in full to proceed with this action. (Id.) 11 II. Objections 12 Azevedo filed objections to the Findings and Recommendations on November 22, 2024 (Doc. 13 6); November 25, 2024 (Doc. 8), and December 2, 2024 (Doc. 9). Azevedo asserts that he satisfies the 14 “imminent danger” exception to Section 1915, because “every single day that [he is] incarcerated [his] 15 life is in danger of serious physical injury.” (Doc. 6 at 1; see also Doc. 9 at 2.) In addition, Azevedo 16 contends the Court should not count the identified dismissal as strikes because his current incarceration 17 began in June 2018 and the cases “were on a totally different incarceration.” (Id. at 2; see also Doc. 9 18 at 1-2.) 19 Azevedo believes that the “District Court is teaming up with the Superior Court to stop him 20 from litigating his actions. (Doc. 8 at 3; see also Doc. 9 at 3.) He asserts, “I believe that the California 21 State Courts [have] contacted this District Court and [are] using them as part of their resources,” which 22 is why the Eastern District “is deciding [his] cases as their (sic) being filed without being looked into or 23 investigated.” (Doc. 6 at 3.) Azevedo maintains that he is not “being treated fairly or equally” by the 24 Court, and “several of [his] cases … were filed and closed within minutes.” (Id.) Azevedo also asserts 25 that the magistrate judge issuing a decision before Azevedo indicated whether he consented to or 26 declined the magistrate judge’s jurisdiction is another example of misconduct by the Court. (Doc. 8 at 27 1-2.) He contends that “[n]ot all of [his] cases were sent to [him] in the mail,” and he “wouldn’t be 28 surprised” if the Court assisted the CDCR with tampering with his mail. (Id. at 2.) 1 III. Discussion and Analysis 2 A district judge may “accept, reject or modify, in whole or in part, the findings and 3 recommendations...” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). If a party files objections, “the court shall make a de 4 novo determination of those portions of the report or specified proposed finding or recommendations 5 to which objection is made.” Id. A de novo review requires the Court to “consider[] the matter anew, 6 as if no decision had been rendered.” Dawson v. Marshall, 561 F.3d 930, 932 (9th Cir. 2009). 7 A. Azevedo’s litigation history1 8 As an initial matter—and part of the de novo review—the Court examined Azevedo’s litigation 9 history with the Eastern District, including the nine cases identified in the complaint. Azevedo listed 10 cases that he claims the Court dismissed either the day after filing or decided even before they were 11 filed. However, the Court did not dismiss any of actions within a day—let alone “within minutes” as 12 Azevedo asserts in his objections— as discussed in the summary below of the cases identified by 13 Azevedo in his complaint. 14 1. Azevedo v. Colusa County, Case No. 2:17-cv-0117-KJN 15 Azevedo asserts the action was filed on January 26, 2017, and decided on January 26, 2017. 16 (Doc. 1 at 4.) However, the docket demonstrates Azevedo filed his petition for writ of habeas corpus 17 on January 17, 2017. (Case No. 2:17-cv-0117, Doc. 1.) The Court observed that Azevedo sought to 18 challenge his conviction from November 23, 2016. (Case No. 2:17-cv-0117, Doc. 6 at 1.) Because 19 Azevedo had appeals pending before the Third Appellate District, the Court found it was required to 20 “abstain from addressing the instant petition,” pursuant to Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 43-54 21 (1971). (Id. at 2.) Therefore, the Court dismissed the petition without prejudice on January 27, 2017, 22 and entered judgment. (Case No. 2:17-cv-0117, Doc. 6 at 3; Doc. 7.) 23

24 1 Azevedo identifies nine actions in his complaint, several of which are also referenced in his objections: (1) Azevedo v. Pfeiffer, Case No. 2:21-cv-187-KJM-AC; (2) Azevedo v. Colusa County, Case No. 2:17-cv-0117-KJN; (3) Azevedo v. 25 Smith, Case. No. 2:18-cv-2818-AC; (4) Azevedo v. Colusa County, Case No. 2:18-cv-3217-WBS-KJN; (5) Azevedo v. Colusa County Superior Ct., Case No. 2:17-cv-0545-DB; (6) Azevedo v. Colusa County Jail, Case No. 2:17-cv-0472-AC; 26 (7) Azevedo v. Thompson, Case No. 2:17-cv-1262-MCE-EFB; (8) Azevedo v. Garofalo, Case No. 2:18-cv-2276-MCE-AC; and (9) Azevedo v. The People of the State of California, Case No. 2:17-cv-1171-JAM-EFB. (Doc. 1 at 4-7.) The Court 27 may take notice of facts that are capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned. Fed. R. Evid. 201(b). The Court may take judicial notice of its own records in other cases. 28 United States v. Wilson, 631 F.2d 118, 119 (9th Cir. 1980). Thus, the Court takes judicial notice of its docket and orders 1 2. Azevedo v. Smith, Case No. 2:18-cv-2818-AC 2 Azevedo alleges this action was filed on November 1, 2017, and decided the same date. (Doc. 3 1 at 4.) The Court’s records show Azevedo filed a civil rights complaint on October 17, 2018, and 4 requested leave to proceed in forma pauperis. (Case No. 2:18-cv-2818, Docs.

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Related

Younger v. Harris
401 U.S. 37 (Supreme Court, 1971)
United States v. John Paul Wilson
631 F.2d 118 (Ninth Circuit, 1980)
Dawson v. Marshall
561 F.3d 930 (Ninth Circuit, 2009)
Lonnie Williams, Jr. v. Daniel Paramo
775 F.3d 1182 (Ninth Circuit, 2015)
Lomax v. Ortiz-Marquez
590 U.S. 595 (Supreme Court, 2020)
Edward Ray, Jr. v. E. Lara
31 F.4th 692 (Ninth Circuit, 2022)

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(PC)Azevedo v. United States Eastern District Courts of California, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pcazevedo-v-united-states-eastern-district-courts-of-california-caed-2025.