(HC)Hickman v. Unknown

Filing 20

ORDER signed by District Judge Dale A. Drozd on 11/25/2024 ADOPTING 19 Findings and Recommendations; and Declining to Issue a Certificate of Appealability. CASE CLOSED. (Becknal, R.)

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9 10 KEVIN DUANE HICKMAN, 11 Petitioner, 12 v. 13 UNKNOWN, 14 No. 2:22-cv-01825-DAD-DMC (HC) ORDER ADOPTING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISMISSING THIS PETITION Respondent. (Doc. No. 19) 15 16 17 Petitioner Kevin Duane Hickman is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma 18 pauperis with a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The matter was 19 referred to a United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 20 302. 21 On March 7, 2024, the assigned magistrate judge issued findings and recommendations 22 recommending that petitioner’s federal habeas petition be dismissed because it does not challenge 23 his underlying state court conviction and sentence and therefore fails to state a cognizable claim 24 for federal habeas relief. (Doc. No. 19 at 2.) Rather, the magistrate judge found that the pending, 25 difficult to decipher petition was an attempt by petitioner to have the court perform a “full 26 settlement and closure” regarding a secured debt of which petitioner alleges he is the creditor. 27 (Id. at 1–2.) The pending findings and recommendations were served upon petitioner and 28 contained notice that any objections thereto were to be filed within fourteen (14) days of the date 1 1 of service. (Id. at 2.) To date, petitioner has not filed any objections and the time in which to do 2 so has passed. 3 In accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C), the court has conducted a 4 de novo review of the case. Having carefully reviewed the entire file, the court concludes that the 5 pending findings and recommendations are supported by the record and proper analysis. 6 Having concluded that the pending petition must be dismissed, the court also declines to 7 issue a certificate of appealability. A petitioner seeking writ of habeas corpus has no absolute 8 right to appeal; he may appeal only in limited circumstances. See 28 U.S.C. § 2253; Miller-El v. 9 Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 335-36 (2003). If a court denies a petitioner’s petition, the court may 10 only issue a certificate of appealability when a petitioner makes a substantial showing of the 11 denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). Where, as here, the court denies habeas 12 relief on procedural grounds without reaching the underlying constitutional claims, the court 13 should issue a certificate of appealability “if jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the 14 petition states a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional right and that jurists of reason would 15 find it debatable whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling.” Slack v. 16 McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000). In the present case, the court finds that reasonable jurists 17 would not find the court’s determination that the pending petition must be dismissed to be 18 debatable or wrong. Thus, the court declines to issue a certificate of appealability. 19 Accordingly, 20 1. 21 The findings and recommendations issued on March 7, 2024 (Doc. No. 19) are adopted in full; 22 2. The operative petition for a writ of habeas corpus (Doc. No. 1) is dismissed; 23 3. The court declines to issue a certificate of appealability; and 24 4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to close this case. 25 IT IS SO ORDERED. 26 27 28 Dated: November 25, 2024 DALE A. DROZD UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 2

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