Finley v. California Treatment Facility
- Kandis Westmore
- 3:25-cv-06754
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Finley v. California Treatment Facility, Judge Kim transferred the prisoner’s civil-rights case to the Northern District of California because it arose there.
James D. Finley and the defendants in his civil-rights action; the case was moved from the Eastern District of California to the Northern District of California.
What happened
James D. Finley, a state prisoner representing himself, filed a civil-rights case under federal law against California Treatment Facility and others. He also applied to proceed without paying the filing fee.
The court said the claim arose in Monterey County, which is in the Northern District of California. Because the case was filed in the wrong district, the court determined that it should have been filed there.
The court transferred the case to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Judge Chi Soo Kim issued the order.
The detailed version
- Finley v. California Treatment Facility · No. 3:25-cv-06754
- Kandis Westmore
- Aug. 6, 2025
Background
James D. Finley, a state prisoner proceeding without a lawyer, filed a civil-rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against California Treatment Facility and other defendants. He also filed an application to proceed without paying the filing fee under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.
Venue
The court applied the federal venue statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b). That statute identifies districts where a civil action may be filed, including a district where a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claim occurred. The opinion states that Finley’s claim arose in Monterey County, which is in the Northern District of California.
Ruling
The court concluded that the case should have been filed in the Northern District of California. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a), a federal court may transfer a case filed in the wrong district when doing so serves the interests of justice. The court ordered that this matter be transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The opinion does not rule on the merits of Finley’s civil-rights claims or on his application to proceed without paying the filing fee.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.