McCauley v. Winn

Filing 24

ORDER ADOPTING 22 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION as the findings of facts and conclusions of law of this Court. IT IS ORDERED Petitioner's 1 Petition under 28 USC § 2241 for a Writ of Habeas Corpus by a Person in Federal Custody is DENIED an d this matter is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. Petitioner's 19 Motion to Expedite for a Summary Judgment is DENIED AS MOOT. Petitioner's 20 Motion for Order to Produce is DENIED. Petitioner's 21 Motion to Supplement the Record is GRANTED. Clerk shall enter judgment accordingly and close its file in this case. Signed by Chief Judge Raner C Collins on 5/18/17.(BAC)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

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Gregory McCauley,
Petitioner,

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ORDER

v.

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No. CV-15-00045-TUC-RCC

JT Shartle,

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Respondent.

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Pending before the Court are: (1) the Pro Se Petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 for

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Writ of Habeas Corpus by a Person in Federal Custody (“Petition”)(Doc. 1); (2)

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Respondents Return and Answer thereto (Doc. 9); (3) Petitioner’s Combined Reply and

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Motion to find Respondent in Default (Doc. 10)1; (4) Petitioner’s Motion to Expedite for

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a Summary Judgment (Doc. 19); (5) Petitioner’s Motion for Order to Produce (Doc. 20);

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(6) Petitioner’s Motion to Supplement the Record (Doc. 21); (7) Magistrate Judge Bruce

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G. Macdonald’s Report and Recommendation (“R&R”)(Doc. 22); and (8) Petitioner’s

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Objection to the Magistrate’s R&R (Doc. 23).

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I.

LEGAL STANDARD

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The duties of the district court in connection with a R & R are set forth in Rule 72

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of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). A district court may

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“accept, reject, or modify the recommended disposition; receive further evidence; or

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The request for default was previously denied by this Court. See Doc. 15,
adopting Doc. 12.

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return the matter to the magistrate judge with instructions.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(3); 28

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U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).

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Where the parties object to an R & R, “[a] judge of the [district] court shall make a

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de novo determination of those portions of the [R & R] to which objection is made.” 28

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U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); see Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 149-50 (1985).

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judge’s decision…is entitled to great deference by the district court.” U.S. v. Abonce-

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Barrera, 257 F.3d 959, 969 (9th Cir. 2001). The Court will not disturb a magistrate

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judge’s order unless his factual findings are clearly erroneous or his legal conclusions are

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contrary to law. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A). A failure to raise an objection waives all

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objections to the magistrate judge’s findings of fact. Turner v. Duncan, 158 F.3d 449,

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455 (9th Cir. 1998).

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II.

“[T]he magistrate

FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

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The Court has reviewed the record, and finds the factual background and

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procedural history in this matter to be thoroughly detailed in Magistrate Macdonald’s

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R&R. See Doc. 22 at 2-7. Petitioner’s objection(s) to the R&R, explained in more detail

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in the section below, are not directed at the Magistrate’s findings in these sections.

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Accordingly, this Court accepts, adopts, and fully incorporates, by reference, these

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sections of the R&R into this Order. See United States v. Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114,

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1121 (9th Cir. 2003); Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 149 (1985) (“[Section 636(b)(1) ]

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does not ... require any review at all ... of any issue that is not the subject of an

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objection.”); Fed.R.Civ.P. 72(b)(3) (“The district judge must determine de novo any part

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of the magistrate judge's disposition that has been properly objected to.”).

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III.

DISCUSSION

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A.

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Petitioner does not object to the R&R’s recommendations regarding the various

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motions he filed after filing the Petition. Accordingly, the Court is relieved of its

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obligation to review these de novo. See Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d at 1121; Thomas, 474

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U.S. at 149.

Petitioner’s Objection(s)

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Petitioner does object to the Magistrate’s “logic, and understanding of controlling

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case law” with respect to his Petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. See Doc. 23 at 1. More

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specifically, Petitioner debates the R&R’s conclusion that due process was satisfied with

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respect to the disciplinary hearing at issue in this case because, according to Petitioner,

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there was “NO EVIDENCE” supporting Disciplinary Hearing Officer (“DHO”)

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Petricka’s ultimate determination. See Doc. 23 at 2 (emphasis in the original). Although

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Petitioner acknowledges the existence of the inculpatory written report issued by the

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reporting officer (which was considered by the DHO), Petitioner dismisses the report as

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“NOT EVIDENCE,” and urges the Court to assess and condemn the reporting officer’s

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credibility. Id. at 1-2. Finally, Petitioner urges this Court to consider other exculpatory

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evidence of his sobriety. Id. at 3.

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B.

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The Court has reviewed the record de novo in this matter and finds Macdonald’s

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Analysis

analysis and conclusions of law to be well-reasoned and supported.

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As was noted in the R&R, the requirements of due process are satisfied if some

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evidence in the record supports the contested disciplinary decision, and “[a]scertaining

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whether this standard is satisfied does not require examination of the entire record,

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independent assessment of the credibility of the witnesses, or weighing of the evidence.”

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Superintendent, Mass. Corrections Inst. V. Hill, 472 U.S. 445, 455-56 (1985).

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Petitioner cites no case law supporting his assertion that a reporting officer’s written

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report “IS NOT EVIDENCE.” Doc. 23 at 1 (emphasis in the original). Moreover,

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Petitioner’s position that the fails to account for the other evidence considered by the

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DHO – namely the photograph of the item in question. The Court need not, and will not

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reassess the credibility of the witnesses or reweigh the evidence, as urged by Petitioner.

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Further, although the Court will grant Petitioner’s Motion to Supplement the Record, the

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Court agrees with the Magistrate’s recommendation that nothing therein alters the

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Court’s findings with respect to the Petition.

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stringent due process standard applicable to the disciplinary decision at issue in this

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In all, the Court finds the minimally

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matter, as articulated in Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539 (1974) and Hill, was satisfied.

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III.

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CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, IT IS ORDERED

(1)

Magistrate Judge Macdonald’s Report and Recommendation (Doc. 22) is

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ACCEPTED AND ADOPTED as the findings of facts and conclusions of law of

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this Court.

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(2)

Petitioner’s Petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 for a Writ of Habeas Corpus by a

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Person in Federal Custody (Doc. 1) is DENIED and this matter is DISMISSED

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WITH PREJUDICE.

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(3)

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Petitioner’s Motion to Expedite for a Summary Judgment is DENIED AS MOOT
(Doc. 19).

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(4)

Petitioner’s Motion for Order to Produce (Doc. 20) is DENIED.

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(5)

Petitioner’s Motion to Supplement the Record (Doc. 21) is GRANTED.

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(6)

The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment accordingly and close its file in this

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case.

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Dated this 18th day of May, 2017.

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