Hendrix v. State of Nevada et al
Filing
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ORDER granting 10 Motion to Dismiss and denying 17 Motion to Appoint Counsel. Petitioner is denied a certificate of appealability. Clerk shall enter judgment accordingly. Signed by Judge Miranda M. Du on 6/19/15. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - JC)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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JAMAL DAMON HENDRIX ,
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Case No. 3:14-cv-00576-MMD-VPC
Petitioner,
ORDER
v.
RENEE BAKER, et al.,
Respondents.
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This case is a petition for a writ of habeas corpus by Jamal Damon Hendrix, a
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Nevada prisoner. Hendrix claims that his federal constitutional rights were violated in a
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prison disciplinary proceeding, in which he was charged with, and ultimately found guilty
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of, disobedience and assault. (Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (dkt. no. 4 at 1-2).) As
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a result of the disciplinary proceeding, Hendrix was placed in disciplinary segregation at
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Ely State Prison for 18 months (which apparently expired in April 2015 (dkt. no. 13)),
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and he lost canteen privileges for 30 days (which apparently expired in 2013). Hendrix’s
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habeas petition includes three claims for relief, each claiming a violation of his federal
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constitutional right to due process of law. (Id. at 3-8.)
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Respondents filed a motion to dismiss, along with exhibits in support of the
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motion, on February 27, 2015. (Dkt. no. 10.) Hendrix filed an opposition to the motion to
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dismiss on June 1, 2015. (Dkt. no. 15.) Respondents filed a reply in support of their
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motion on June 3, 2015. (Dkt. no. 16.)
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Respondents argue that Hendrix’s claims for habeas corpus relief are not
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cognizable in this federal habeas corpus action because the disciplinary proceedings
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challenged by Hendrix, and the determination of his guilt in those proceedings, did not
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result in a loss of good time credits and therefore will have no effect on his prison
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sentence. Respondents also argue that Hendrix’s habeas claims are barred by the
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procedural default doctrine.
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A federal district court has jurisdiction to “entertain an application for a writ of
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habeas corpus in behalf of a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State
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court only on the ground that he is in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or
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treaties of the United States.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a); see also 28 U.S.C. § 2241(c)(3).
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Thus, a federal petition for writ of habeas corpus is cognizable where “a state prisoner is
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challenging the very fact or duration of his physical imprisonment, and the relief he
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seeks is a determination that he is entitled to an immediate or speedier release from
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that imprisonment.” See Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 500 (1973). As the Ninth
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Circuit Court of Appeals recently clarified: “a claim challenging prison disciplinary
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proceedings is cognizable in habeas only if it will ‘necessarily spell speedier release’
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from custody, meaning that the relief sought will either terminate custody, accelerate the
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future date of release from custody, or reduce the level of custody.” Nettles v. Grounds,
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Nos. 12-16935, 13-15050, ___ F.3d ___, 2015 WL 3406160, at *1 (9th Cir. May 28,
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2015) (quoting Skinner v. Switzer, 562 U.S. 521 n.13 (2011) (emphasis added by
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Nettles) (internal quotation marks omitted by Nettles) (citing Wilkinson v. Dotson, 44
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U.S. 74, 86 (2005) (Scalia, J., concurring)). “[H]abeas jurisdiction is absent, and a §
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1983 action proper, where a successful challenge to a prison condition will not
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necessarily shorten the prisoner’s sentence.” Ramirez v. Galaza, 334 F.3d 850, 859
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(9th Cir.2003).
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In this case, the sanctions received by Hendrix as a result of the challenged
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disciplinary proceedings did not add to his prison sentence; consequently, success by
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Hendrix on his claims in this action would not “necessarily shorten” his sentence.
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Hendrix alleges in his habeas petition that he lost six months of good time credit
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as a result of the guilty findings in the disciplinary proceeding. (Dkt. no. 4 at 7.) This
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allegation, however, is belied by the record. See Summary of Disciplinary Hearing,
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Exhibit 3 (attached thereto as Exh. 3 at 3) (reflecting that there was no referral for loss
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of statutory credits); Affidavit of Shelly Williams, Exhibit 3 (attached thereto as Exh. 5)
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(Nevada Department of Corrections Program Officer states that Hendrix lost no
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statutory credits as a result of disciplinary proceeding); Credit History, Exhibit 3
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(attached thereto as Exh. 6) (credit history reflects that there was no loss of statutory
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credits).
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Hendrix makes a vague and unsupported allegation that “this decision also
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[affected] petitioner’s parole eligibility.” (Dkt. no. 4 at 3, 4-6.) Hendrix, however, has not
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alleged a colorable basis for concluding that the expungement of his disciplinary
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violations from the record would “necessarily spell speedier release” on parole. See
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Nettles, p. *8 (holding the effect of expungement of rules violation to be too attenuated
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to meet the Skinner standard).
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The Court, therefore, determines that Hendrix’s claims are not cognizable in this
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federal habeas corpus action. Respondents’ motion to dismiss will be granted on that
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basis. The Court need not address respondents’ assertion that Hendrix’s claims are
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barred by the procedural default doctrine.
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The Court will deny Hendrix’s motion for appointment of counsel. (Dkt. no. 17.)
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As Hendrix’s claims are not cognizable in this federal habeas corpus action,
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appointment of counsel is unwarranted.
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The standard for issuance of a certificate of appealability calls for a “substantial
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showing of the denial of a constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c). The Supreme Court
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interpreted 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c) as follows:
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Where a district court has rejected the constitutional claims on the
merits, the showing required to satisfy § 2253(c) is straightforward: The
petitioner must demonstrate that reasonable jurists would find the district
court’s assessment of the constitutional claims debatable or wrong.
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Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000); see also James v. Giles, 221 F.3d 1074,
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1077-79 (9th Cir.2000). Applying this standard, the court will deny Hendrix a certificate
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of appealability.
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It is therefore ordered that petitioner’s motion for appointment of counsel (dkt. no.
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It is further ordered that respondents’ Motion to Dismiss (dkt. no. 10) is granted.
This action is dismissed.
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It is further ordered that petitioner is denied a certificate of appealability.
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It is further ordered that the Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment accordingly.
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DATED THIS 19th day of June 2015.
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MIRANDA M. DU
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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