Stafford v. Matteson
- Susan Van Keulen
- 5:20-cv-04115
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 1
In Stafford v. Matteson, Judge Van Keulen transferred Stafford’s parole-challenge petition to the Eastern District of California because that district was the proper venue.
Brian Keith Stafford’s habeas petition, pending motions, and case file were transferred from the Northern District of California to the Eastern District of California.
What happened
In Stafford v. Matteson, Brian Keith Stafford, a state prisoner at California State Prison—Solano, challenged a decision by California’s Board of Parole Hearings through a federal petition.
The court explained that petitions challenging how a sentence is carried out, including parole claims, generally belong in the district where the prisoner is confined. Because Solano County is in the Eastern District of California, the court found venue proper there.
Judge Susan Van Keulen ordered the case transferred to the Eastern District of California under federal venue law. The clerk was directed to terminate all pending motions and transfer the entire case file.
The detailed version
- Stafford v. Matteson · No. 5:20-cv-04115
- Susan Van Keulen
- Aug. 11, 2020
Background
Brian Keith Stafford, identified as a state prisoner at California State Prison—Solano, filed a petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The petition challenged a decision by the Board of Parole Hearings.
Venue Analysis
The court explained that when a petition challenges the way a sentence is being carried out, such as through a parole claim, the district where the prisoner is confined is the preferable forum. California State Prison—Solano is in Solano County, which lies within the Eastern District of California. The court therefore determined that venue was proper in that district.
Ruling
The court ordered that the case be transferred to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a). The clerk was directed to terminate all pending motions and transfer the entire case file. The opinion did not decide the merits of Stafford’s parole challenge. Judge Susan Van Keulen signed the order.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.