CASTANON v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Filing
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MEMORANDUM OPINION/ORDER that the Clerk shall reopen this matter for the purposes of this Courts examination of Petitioners application for Leave to Appeal out-of-time docketed as Docket Entry No. 5, by making a new and separate entry on the docket r eading, CIVIL CASE REOPENED; that Petitioners application docketed as Docket Entry No. 5 is denied; that the Clerk shall administratively terminate this matter by making a new and separate entry on the docket reading, CIVIL CASE TERMINATED; that the Clerk shall serve this Memorandum Opinion and Order upon Respondent by means of electronic delivery; that the Clerk shall serve this Memorandum Opinion and Order upon Petitioner by certified mail, return receipt requested, and enclose in said mailin g: (a) copies of this Courts substantive disposition opinion and order docketed in this matter as Docket Entries Nos. 2 and 3; and (b) a copy of Respondents opposition docketed in this matter as Docket Entry No. 7. Signed by Judge William H. Walls on 11/6/13. (DD, )
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
____________________________________
:
ROBERTO CASTANON,
:
:
Civil Action No. 11-7634 (WHW)
Petitioner,
:
:
v.
:
:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
:
:
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Respondent.
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AND ORDER
____________________________________:
This matter comes before the Court on: (a) Petitioner’s application seeking vacatur
and re-entry of the underlying order so as to enable Petitioner’s appeal out of time; and (b)
Respondent’s opposition to the same, see Docket Entries Nos. 5 and 7, and it appearing
that:
1. On April 6, 2010, Petitioner was convicted upon entering a guilty plea in United
States v. Castanon, Crim. Action No. 10-0237 (WHW) (D.N.J.) (filed Apr. 6, 2010;
term. Nov. 23, 2010). His direct appeal was dismissed on January 15, 2012. See
United States v. Castanon, USCA No. 10-4537 (3d Cir.).
2. Petitioner then sought collateral review in that matter. See Docket Entry No. 1. On
April 11, 2012, this Court issued an order and accompanying opinion denying
Petitioner § 2255 relief and finding that no certificate of appealability was
warranted. See Docket Entries Nos. 2 and 3. Petitioner was served with the Court’s
ruling by means of regular U.S. mail. See id.
3. Fourteen months later, on June 6, 2013, the Clerk received a letter from Petitioner
alleging that he had not been served with the April 11, 2012 ruling. See Docket
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Entry No. 4. In response, the Clerk mailed Petitioner a copy of the docket sheet.
See id.
4. Four weeks later, Petitioner filed the application seeking to vacate the order denying
him § 2255 relief and re-entry of the same so that he could appeal many months
after his time to file such appeal expired. See Docket Entry No. 5.
5. Respondent opposed that application. See Docket Entries Nos. 6 and 7. In its
opposition, Respondent observed that Petitioner seeks to de facto circumvent this
Court’s prior substantive ruling, and that Petitioner’s application cannot be squared
with either the Rules of Appellate Procedure or the statutory regime governing the
appellate process. See Docket Entry No. 7, at 2-5. Respondent is correct in its
conclusion that no legal mandate supports Petitioner’s application in light of the
facts he asserted, and equitable considerations cannot be squared with Petitioner’s
delay.
6. On October 22, 2013, Petitioner was removed to Peru, his country of origin. See id.
at 2, n.2 (reflecting Respondent’s efforts to locate Petitioner in Peru). Pursuant to
Local Rule 10.1, “unrepresented parties must advise the Court of any change in
their . . . address within seven days of being apprised of such change by filing a
notice of said change with the Clerk. Failure to file a notice of address change may
result in the imposition of sanctions by the Court.” L. Civ. R. 10.1(a); see also
McLaren v. N.J. State Dep’t of Educ., 462 F. App’x 148, 149 (3d Cir. 2012) (the
court may sanction a litigant “when [that] litigant’s conduct makes adjudication
impossible”). The range of such sanctions includes both administrative termination
and conclusive closure. See, e.g., Kitchen v. Essex County Corr. Facility, No. 12-
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2199, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101397 (D.N.J. July 18, 2013); accord McLaren, 462
F. App’x at 149 (quoting Carey v. King, 856 F.2d 1439, 1441 (9th Cir. 1988), for
the observation that dismissal for failure to provide an accurate address was
appropriate because the district court “had little choice as to how to proceed” and
“an order imposing [lesser] sanctions would only find itself taking a round trip tour
through the United States mail”). It follows that even if the Court were to assume
that Petitioner’s motion at bar might prove meritorious, his failure to advise the
Court of his change in address warrants termination of this matter.
7. On the other hand, being mindful of the fact that Petitioner was neither served with
Respondent’s opposition nor could have traversed to the same and offer this Court
his facts, if any, countering Respondent’s position, it appears warranted to reserve
its final determination on the merits of Petitioner’s application so to ensure that he
is availed to a full and fair opportunity to litigate it.
IT IS, therefore, on this 6th day of November, 2013,
ORDERED that the Clerk shall reopen this matter for the purposes of this Court’s
examination of Petitioner’s application docketed as Docket Entry No. 5, by making a new
and separate entry on the docket reading, “CIVIL CASE REOPENED”; and it is further
ORDERED that Petitioner’s application docketed as Docket Entry No. 5 is denied.
Such denial, however, is without prejudice to renewal in the event Petitioner files with the
Clerk a written statement detailing a bona fide basis for Petitioner’s failure to timely advise
the Court of his change in address and, in addition, a written statement as to: (a) the facts
warranting equitable relief as to Petitioner’s procedural default in light of the discussion of
the applicable law provided in Respondent’s opposition; and (b) the facts warranting
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reconsideration of this Court’s substantive finding (that no certificate of appealability was
warranted) in light of the substantive findings previously made by this Court. Both such
written statements shall be filed no later than within ninety days from the date of entry of
this Memorandum Opinion and Order; and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk shall administratively terminate this matter by making a
new and separate entry on the docket reading, “CIVIL CASE TERMINATED.” See
Papotto v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 19660, at *26 (3d
Cir. N.J. Sept. 26, 2013) (“administrative closings . . . are a practical tool used by courts to
prune overgrown dockets and are particularly useful in circumstances in which a case,
though not dead, is likely to remain moribund”) (citation, ellipses and internal quotation
marks omitted); and it is further
ORDERED that administrative termination is not a final dismissal on the merits.
The Court reserves its determination and retains jurisdiction over this matter for the period
of ninety days from the date of entry of this Memorandum Opinion and Order; and it is
further
ORDERED that, in the event Petitioner fails to timely submit his written statements
in accordance with the terms of this Memorandum Opinion and Order, Petitioner’s
application docketed as Docket Entry No. 1 shall be deemed conclusively denied for failure
to prosecute, see Briscoe v. Klaus, 538 F.3d 252, 258-59 (3d Cir. 2008); Ware v. Rodale
Press, Inc., 322 F.3d 218, 222 (3d Cir. 2003); Mindek v. Rigatti, 964 F.2d 1369, 1373 (3d
Cir. 1992), and this Court’s jurisdiction shall be deemed conclusively withdrawn, with this
matter being deemed ripe for appeal if such is desired, without further notice to Petitioner;
and it is further
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ORDERED that the Clerk shall serve this Memorandum Opinion and Order upon
Respondent by means of electronic delivery; and it is finally
ORDERED that the Clerk shall serve this Memorandum Opinion and Order upon
Petitioner by certified mail, return receipt requested, and enclose in said mailing: (a) copies
of this Court’s substantive disposition opinion and order docketed in this matter as Docket
Entries Nos. 2 and 3; and (b) a copy of Respondent’s opposition docketed in this matter as
Docket Entry No. 7.
/s/ William H. Walls
United States Senior District Judge
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