Bonilla v. Sonoma County Superior Court

Background

Steven Wayne Bonilla, identified as a state prisoner and a prisoner sentenced to death, filed multiple civil-rights complaints under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 without a lawyer. The defendants included various state superior courts and state judges. The complaints presented nearly identical claims and sought relief concerning Bonilla's underlying conviction or the handling of his other cases by state and federal courts.

The opinion also states that Bonilla had a pending federal petition challenging his confinement with appointed counsel and was represented by counsel in state-court proceedings.

Filing-fee status and other barriers

To the extent Bonilla sought permission to proceed without paying filing fees, the court found that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) disqualified him from doing so unless he was in imminent danger of serious physical injury when he filed the complaints. The court concluded that the allegations did not show such danger.

The court further stated that, even if Bonilla's applications to proceed without paying fees were granted, the lawsuits would be barred under the legal rules and decisions cited in the order: Heck v. Humphrey, Younger v. Harris, Demos v. U.S. District Court, and Mullis v. U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The court did not decide the underlying validity of Bonilla's claims.

Disposition

The court dismissed the cases with prejudice. It directed the clerk to terminate all pending motions and close the cases, and to return without filing any additional documents Bonilla submitted in the closed cases. Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton signed the order.