(PC)Espinoza v. Garcia et al

Filing 3

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman on 9/10/2020 TRANSFERRING this mater to the USDC for the Central District of California. CASE CLOSED. (Yin, K)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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JOSE ESPINOZA,

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No. 2:20-cv-1770 KJN P

Plaintiff,
v.

ORDER

ROWLAND GARCIA, et al.,

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Defendants.

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Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights action pursuant to 42
U.S.C. § 1983.
The federal venue statute provides that a civil action “may be brought in (1) a judicial

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district in which any defendant resides, if all defendants are residents of the State in which the

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district is located, (2) a judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions

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giving rise to the claim occurred, or a substantial part of property that is the subject of the action

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is situated, or (3) if there is no district in which an action may otherwise be brought as provided in

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this action, any judicial district in which any defendant is subject to the court’s personal

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jurisdiction with respect to such action.” 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b).

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In this case, the claim arose in Los Angeles County, which is in the Central District of
California. Therefore, plaintiff’s claim should have been filed in the United States District Court

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for the Central District of California.1 In the interest of justice, a federal court may transfer a

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complaint filed in the wrong district to the correct district. See 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a); Starnes v.

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McGuire, 512 F.2d 918, 932 (D.C. Cir. 1974).

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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this matter is transferred to the United

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States District Court for the Central District of California.

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Dated: September 10, 2020

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espi1770.21

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Plaintiff appears to allege that West Covina Police Officer Gonzales wrote a false report that
resulted in plaintiff’s transfer from Seattle to West Covina. Plaintiff alleges that he was then
booked for attempted murder. It is not clear if the instant action is a civil rights action or a habeas
corpus petition. However, because plaintiff’s claims and criminal proceedings arose in Los
Angeles County, jurisdiction is appropriate in the Central District whether this action is brought
as a civil rights action or a habeas corpus petition.
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