Bennett v. Donahue [TVV]

Filing 19

MEMORANDUM addressing motions 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , and 18 , in support of the following Judgment Order. Signed by Chief District Judge Thomas A Varlan on 3/12/15. (c/m)(ADA)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
AT KNOXVILLE
COREY ALLEN BENNETT,
Petitioner,
v.
MICHAEL DONAHUE, Warden,
Respondent.

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No.

3:14-cv-158-TAV-CCS

MEMORANDUM
This is a pro se petition for the writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254
filed by petitioner Corey Alan Bennett (“petitioner”). The matter is before the Court on
the motion to dismiss filed by respondent.1 For the following reasons, the motion to
dismiss [Doc. 15] will be GRANTED and this action will be DISMISSED WITHOUT
PREJUDICE.
On March 26, 2014, petitioner filed a petition in the Western District of Tennessee
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 alleging that his sentence has expired for his conviction for
contempt of court [Doc. 1]. The petition was transferred to this Court, and on April 24,
2014, the Court directed respondent to respond to the petition [Doc. 11]. In response to
that order, respondent filed a motion to dismiss for failure to exhaust state remedies [Doc.
15].

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Respondent has filed a motion to substitute counsel [Doc. 18], which will be granted.

A state prisoner’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus cannot be granted by a
federal court unless the petitioner has exhausted his available state-court remedies. 28
U.S.C. § 2254. This rule has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as one of total
exhaustion. Rose v. Lundy, 455 U.S. 509 (1982). Thus, each and every claim set forth in
the federal habeas corpus petition must have been presented to the state appellate court.
Picard v. Connor, 404 U.S. 270 (1971).
With respect to petitioner, in March 2011, petitioner was convicted of contempt of
court and sentenced to 53 days of incarceration, in Knox County Circuit Court Case No.
119896. He obtained a separate conviction for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor
and four counts of aggravated stalking. It appears that petitioner’s argument in this
action is that the detainer placed upon him to serve his sentence for the contempt
conviction upon the expiration of his other sentence is unlawful because the contempt
sentence has already expired. Yet, on April 22, 2014, petitioner filed a state habeas
petition in Knox County, Tennessee, alleging that his 53-day sentence for his contempt
conviction had expired [Doc. 15-1]. The state petition challenges the expiration date of
his contempt sentence, as the petition does in this case.
Based upon the foregoing, it appears that petitioner’s proceedings in the state court
were still pending at the time he filed this action and he therefore failed to exhaust his
state remedies. Accordingly, the motion to substitute [Doc. 18] and the motion to dismiss
[Doc. 15] will be GRANTED, and all of petitioner’s pending motions [Docs. 12, 14, 16,
17] will be DENIED. The Clerk will be DIRECTED to substitute Deputy Attorney
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General Jennifer L. Smith as counsel for the respondent. The petition for habeas corpus
relief will be DENIED and this action will be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
for failure to exhaust state-court remedies. A certificate of appealability SHALL NOT
ISSUE. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c); Rule 22(b) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The Court will CERTIFY that any appeal from this action would not be taken in good
faith and would be totally frivolous. See Rule 24 of the Federal Rules of Appellate
Procedure. The Court will further DENY petitioner leave to proceed in forma pauperis
on appeal.

AN APPROPRIATE ORDER WILL ENTER.

s/ Thomas A. Varlan
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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