Stanley v. Baca

137 F. Supp. 3d 1192, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123054, 2015 WL 5436938
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedSeptember 15, 2015
DocketCase No. CV 12-9569-JAK (GJS)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 137 F. Supp. 3d 1192 (Stanley v. Baca) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stanley v. Baca, 137 F. Supp. 3d 1192, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123054, 2015 WL 5436938 (C.D. Cal. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER ACCEPTING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

JOHN A. KRONSTADT, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 686, the Court has reviewed the Petition, all .other documents filed in this action, Respondent’s Motion For Review Of Magistrate Judge’s Order filed on March 5, 2015 (“Motion”) and all related briefing by the parties, the Report and Recommendation of United States Magistrate Judge (“Report”), and Petitioner’s Objections to the Report. The Court has conducted a de novo review of those matters to which Petitioner has stated Objections.

The Court accepts the findings and recommendations set forth in the Report. Accordingly, IT 'IS ORDERED that: (1) the Motion is GRANTED; (2) the Magistrate Judge’s Order of February 19, 2015 is VACATED; (3) the Petition is recharacter-ized as one falling under 28 U.S.C. § 2254; and (4) within thirty (30) days of this Order, Petitioner shall file a response advising how he wishes to proceed, including whether he wishes to proceed solely with his existing double jeopardy claim or have this action stayed while he exhausts any additional claims arising from his intervening conviction.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

GAIL J. STANDISH, United'States Magistrate Judge

This Report and Recommendation is submitted to the Honorable John A. Kron-stadt, United States District Judge, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636 and General Order No, 05-07 of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

[1194]*1194INTRODUCTION

Presently before the Court is Respondent’s “Motion For Review Of Magistrate Judge’s Order ...which was filed on March 5, 2015' [Dkt. 78] (the “Motion”). On March 10, 2015, District Judge Kron-stadt referred the Motion for the issuance of a Report and Recommendation. > On April 28, 2015, Petitioner filed his Opposition-to the Motion. On May 4, 2015, Respondent filed his Reply. Accordingly, the Motion is fully briefed and ready for decision.

BACKGROUND

This case has a complicated procedural history. The Court recounts much of it here to aid in the consideration of the Motion.1

In 2011, Petitioner was in trial in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, until a mistrial was declared on November 7, 2011. (Petition at 2.) As recounted by the California Court of Appeal, the mistrial occurred as follows:

Very shortly after the jury and four alternates were sworn in a double-murder case, a number of jurors asserted reasons why they needed to be excused from service. One juror revealed a previously undisclosed bias, and was dismissed. An alternate juror revealed a previously undisclosed child care obligation, and was dismissed at the request of the defendant. Another juror’s fian-cée had broken her ankle and required the juror’s constant attention. The record does not reflect whether this juror was- actually dismissed, but it appears that the trial court and counsel assumed that he had been excused. A fourth juror asserted that he had contracted contagious conjunctivitis (pinkeye).. and was under doctor’s orders to stay home for two days. The trial court posited the question as to whether it should wait for this juror to get well, and a discussion was held with counsel: Both the prosecutor and the trial court believed that the result of the conversation was an agreement that the trial would not proceed unless there was at least one alternate. As a single alternate would be preserved if the trial were continued in order, to retain the juror with pinkeye, the trial court -proposed to counsel that it would ask the remaining jurors if they all would still be able to serve if the commencement of the trial were delayed for two days. The trial court expressed the view that if any other jurors asserted an inability to serve if the trial were continued, the court would grant a mistrial and dismiss the jury. Hearing no objection, the trial court proceeded with that course of action. A fifth juror then expressed concern, stating that he had “had a heart attack.” The trial court held another conference with counsel and, relying on what it believed to be the agreement it had previously reached with counsel, and hearing no objection, dismissed the jury and declared a mistrial. A new trial date was set.

Stanley v. Superior Court, 206 Cal.App.4th 265, 269, 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 675 (2012).

Before the new trial, commenced, Petitioner moved to dismiss the state criminal case based upon a double jeopardy objection. The trial court denied the motion after finding that defense counsel- had impliedly consented to the dismissal of the jury and resulting mistrial. Stanley, 206 Cal.App.4th at 270, 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 675. Petitioner filed a petition for a writ of prohibition in the California Court of Appeal. That petition was denied in a May [1195]*119522, 2012 reasoned decision, in which the state appellate court concluded that the trial court’s finding of implied consent was factually and legally justified. Id. at 278-294, 141 Cal.Rptr.3d 675. The California Supreme Court denied review on September 12, 2012. (Petition at 4.)

On November 8, 2012,. Petitioner.filed a federal habeas petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (“Petition”). The sole named Respondent was (and remains at present) Lee Baca, the former Sheriff for Los Angeles County. The Petition alleges a single claim, to wit, that “Petitioner is being prosecuted in violation of his right against double jeopardy.” (Petition at 5.) As supporting facts, the Petition alleges that: the above-described mistrial “was declared without legal necessity and without consent”; and “[fjurther proceedings on the charges are barred by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.” (Id.)

Respondent moved to dismiss the Petition pursuant to the Younger abstention doctrine.2 On January 30, 2013, Petitioner filed a request to. stay his trial. On March 21, 2013, the first Magistrate Judge to whom this case was referred issued a Report and Recommendation with respect to the motion to dismiss, in which he concluded that review was not barred by the Younger abstention doctrine but habeas relief was not warranted based on Petitioner’s double jeopardy claim. On April 5, 2013, District Judge Kronstadt issued an Order that denied Petitioner’s stay request. On April 10, 2013, after a second referral, the second Magistrate Judge vacated the prior Report and Recommendation and directed further briefing on the motion to dismiss. Following the conclusion of briefing, on June 7, 2013, the Magistrate Judge issued a Report and Recommendation, in which he concluded that: Younger abstention was warranted; no exception to the doctrine applied, because the Petition does not present a “colorable” double jeopardy claim; and the motion to dismiss should be granted. On June 25, 2013, District Judge Kronstadt accepted the Report and Recommendation and denied and dismissed the Petition, and thereafter, Judgment was entered dismissing this- case.

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137 F. Supp. 3d 1192, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123054, 2015 WL 5436938, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stanley-v-baca-cacd-2015.