Opinion
No. CV 11-2398-PHX-GMS (MEA)., No. CR 11-1185-PHX-GMS.
December 07, 2011.
ORDER
Movant Ramon Adrian Espinoza-Cuamea, who is confined in the Corrections Corporation of America's Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona, has filed a pro se "Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody" ("Motion"). The Court will deny the Motion with leave to amend.
I. Failure to Use the Court-Approved Form
The Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings for the United States District Courts allow the Court, by local rule, to prescribe a form to be used for filing a § 2255 motion. See Rule 2(c), Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings, foll. 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Under this Court's local rule, Movant must use the court-approved form when filing a pro se motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. See LRCiv 3.5(a).
Movant has not used this Court's court-approved form. In addition, Movant did not sign the Motion. Therefore, the Motion will be denied with leave to file an amended motion within 30 days.
The Motion must be signed by Movant under penalty of perjury.See 28 U.S.C. § 2242; Rule 2(b) of the Rules Governing Section 2255 Proceedings.
II. Leave to Amend
Within 30 days, Movant may submit an amended motion on the court-approved form. The Clerk of Court will mail Movant a court-approved form to use for filing an amended motion. Movant must submit the amended motion on the court-approved form and sign it under penalty of perjury. If Movant fails to file an amended motion within 30 days from the date of filing of this Order, the Court will dismiss this § 2255 action without further notice to Movant. If Movant fails to use the court-approved form, the Court may strike the amended motion and dismiss this § 2255 action without further notice to Movant.
Movant must clearly designate on the face of the document that it is an "Amended Motion." The amended motion must be retyped or rewritten in its entirety on a court-approved form and may not incorporate any part of the original Motion by reference. Movant must describe each ground for relief and the facts supporting each ground.
An amended motion supersedes an original motion. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir. 1992); Hal Roach Studios v. Richard Feiner Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1546 (9th Cir. 1990). After amendment, the Court will treat an original motion as nonexistent. Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262. Any ground for relief that was raised in the original Motion is waived if it is not raised in an amended motion. See King v. Atiyeh, 814 F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987).
III. Warnings
A. Address Changes
Movant must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with Rule 83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Movant must not include a motion for other relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in dismissal of this § 2255 action.
B. Copies
Movant must submit an additional copy of every filing for use by the Court. See LRCiv 5.4. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the filing being stricken without further notice to Movant.
C. Possible Dismissal
If Movant fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including these warnings, the Court may dismiss this § 2255 action without further notice. See Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1260-61 (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to comply with any order of the Court).
IT IS ORDERED:
(1) Movant's "Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody" (Doc. 1 in CV 11-2398-PHX-GMS (MEA)) is denied with leave to amend. Movant has 30 days from the date of filing of this Order to file an amended motion in compliance with this Order.
(2) If Movant fails to file an amended motion within 30 days, the Clerk of Court must, without further notice, terminate Document 28 in CR 11-1185-PHX-GMS and enter a judgment of dismissal of the civil action opened in connection with this § 2255 action (CV 11-2398-PHX-GMS (MEA)), without prejudice.
(3) The Clerk of Court must mail Movant a court-approved form for filing a Motion to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence By a Person in Federal Custody ( 28 U.S.C. § 2255). Instructions for Filing a Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct a Sentence by a Person in Federal Custody (Motion Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255) in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
1. Who May Use This Form. To use this form, you must be a person who is serving a sentence under a judgment against you in a federal court. You also may use this form to challenge a federal judgment that imposed a sentence to be served in the future. You are asking for relief from the conviction or the sentence. This form is your motion for relief. In this motion, you may challenge only one judgment. If you want to challenge more than one judgment, you must file a separate motion for each judgment. This form should not be used in death penalty cases. If you were sentenced to death, you are entitled to the assistance of counsel and you should request the appointment of counsel.
2. The Form. Local Rule of Civil Procedure (LRCiv) 3.5(a) requires that motions to vacate must be filed on the court-approved form. The form must be typed or neatly handwritten. All questions must be answered clearly and concisely in the appropriate space on the form. If needed, you may attach additional pages. The form, however, must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. You do not need to cite law. If you want to file a brief or arguments, you must attach a separate memorandum.
3. Your Signature. You must tell the truth and sign the form. If you make a false statement of a material fact, you may be prosecuted for perjury.
4. No Filing Fee. No fee is required with this motion.
5. Original and Judge's Copy. You must send an original and one copy of your motion and of any other document submitted to the Court. You must send one additional copy to the Court if you wish to have a file-stamped copy of the document returned to you. All copies must be identical to the original. Copies may be legibly handwritten.
6. Where to File. You must file the form in the United States District Court that entered the judgment that you are challenging. When you have completed the form, mail the original and one copy to the Clerk of the United States District Court at the division where you were sentenced:
"Phoenix Prescott Divisions: U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 130 401 West Washington Street, SPC 10 Phoenix, Arizona 85003-2119"
" OR"
"Tucson Division: U.S. District Court Clerk U.S. Courthouse, Suite 1500 405 West Congress Street Tucson, Arizona 85701-5010"
7. Change of Address. You must immediately notify the Court and respondents in writing of any change in your mailing address. Failure to notify the Court of any change in your mailing address may result in the dismissal of your case.
8. Certificate of Service. You must provide the respondent with a copy of any document you submit to the Court (except the initial motion to vacate). Each original document (except the initial motion to vacate) must include a certificate of service on the last page of the document stating the date a copy of the document was mailed to the respondent and the address to which it was mailed. Fed.R.Civ.P. 5(a), (d). Any document received by the Court that does not include a certificate of service may be stricken. A certificate of service should be in the following form:
I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing document was mailed this (month, day, year) to: Name: Address: Attorney for Respondent (Signature)
9. Amended Motion to Vacate. If you need to change any of the information in the initial motion to vacate, you must file an amended motion. The amended motion must be written on the court-approved motion to vacate form. You may file one amended motion without leave (permission) of Court before the respondent has answered your original motion to vacate. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). After the respondent has filed an answer, you must file a motion for leave to amend and lodge (submit) a proposed amended motion to vacate. LRCiv 15.1. An amended motion may not incorporate by reference any part of your prior motion. LRCiv 15.1(a)(2). Any grounds not included in the amended motion to vacate are considered dismissed.
10. Letters and Motions. It is generally inappropriate to write a letter to any judge or the staff of any judge. The only appropriate way to communicate with the Court is by filing a written pleading or motion.
11. Grounds for Relief. You must raise all grounds for relief that relate to this conviction or sentence. Any grounds not raised in this motion will likely be barred from being raised at a later date.
FINAL NOTE
You should follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your motion being stricken or dismissed by the Court. All questions must be answered concisely in the proper space on the form. If you need more space, you may attach additional pages. But the form must be completely filled in to the extent applicable. If you attach additional pages, be sure to identify which section of the motion is being continued and number all pages.