Martirosyan v. Holder et al

Filing 16

ORDER Directing the Clerk of the Court to Change Name of Respondent signed by Magistrate Judge Gary S. Austin on 8/4/2009. (Figueroa, O)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NERSES VARDKE MARTIROSYAN, 12 13 14 15 16 17 Petitioner is a detainee of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") 18 proceeding pro se with a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. 19 For a court to hear a petition for writ of habeas corpus, it must have jurisdiction over the 20 prisoner or his custodian. United States v. Giddings, 740 F.2d 770, 772 (9th Cir.1984). A failure to 21 name the proper respondent deprives a habeas court of personal jurisdiction. Brittingham v. United 22 States, 982 F.2d 378, 379 (9th Cir. 1992); Dunne v. Henman, 875 F.2d 244, 249 (9th Cir.1989). The 23 proper respondent in a federal habeas corpus petition is the petitioner's "immediate custodian." 24 Brittingham, 982 F.2d at 379, quoting Demjanjuk v. Meese, 784 F.2d 1114, 1115 (D.C.Cir.1986) 25 (Bork, J., in chambers). In a case such as this where a detainee is challenging his indefinite detention 26 by ICE, the appropriate respondent would be the Attorney General of the United States. 27 Petitioner has filed an amended petition listing the United States Attorney General as 28
U . S . D i s t r ic t C o u r t E. D . C a lifo r n ia

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA ) ) Petitioner, ) ) v. ) ) ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., et al., ) ) Respondents. ) ____________________________________) 1:09-CV-01198 OWW GSA HC ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO CHANGE NAME OF RESPONDENT

1

1 2 3 4 5

Respondent in this matter. Accordingly, the Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to change the name of Respondent to Eric H. Holder, Jr.

IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated: 6i0kij

August 4, 2009

/s/ Gary S. Austin UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
U . S . D i s t r ic t C o u r t E. D . C a lifo r n ia

2