Opinion
Civil Action No. 11-cv-01955-BNB
08-04-2011
ROBERT J. FREEMAN, Applicant, v. ARISTEDES ZAVARAS, and THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF COLORADO, Respondents.
Aristedes Zavaras, Warden c/o Keith Nordell Colorado Department of Corrections Office of Legal Affairs DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY John Suthers, Attorney General Office of the Attorney General DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY James Quinn, Asst. Attorney General Office of the Attorney General DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY COURTESY COPY
ORDER TO FILE PRE-ANSWER RESPONSE
As part of the preliminary consideration of the Application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 filed July 28, 2011, in this action and pursuant to Denson v. Abbott, 554 F. Supp. 2d 1206 (D. Colo. 2008), the Court has determined that a limited Pre-Answer Response is appropriate. Respondents are directed pursuant to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the United States District Courts to file a Pre-Answer Response limited to addressing the affirmative defenses of timeliness under 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d) and/or exhaustion of state court remedies under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1)(A). If Respondents do not intend to raise either of these affirmative defenses, they must notify the Court of that decision in the Pre-Answer Response. Respondents may not file a dispositive motion as their Pre-Answer Response, or an Answer, or otherwise address the merits of the claims in response to this Order.
In support of the Pre-Answer Response, Respondents should attach as exhibits all relevant portions of the state court record, including but not limited to copies of all documents demonstrating whether this action is filed in a timely manner and/or whether Applicant has exhausted state court remedies.
Applicant may reply to the Pre-Answer Response and provide any information that might be relevant to the one-year limitation period under 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d) and/or the exhaustion of state court remedies. Applicant also should include information relevant to equitable tolling, specifically as to whether he has pursued his claims diligently and whether some extraordinary circumstance prevented him from filing a timely 28 U.S.C. § 2254 action in this Court. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that within twenty-one (21) days from the date of this Order Respondents shall file a Pre-Answer Response that complies with this Order. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that within twenty-one (21) days of the filing of the Pre-Answer Response Applicant may file a Reply, if he desires. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that if Respondents do not intend to raise either of the affirmative defenses of timeliness or exhaustion of state court remedies, they must notify the Court of that decision in the Pre-Answer Response.
DATED August 4, 2011, at Denver, Colorado.
BY THE COURT:
Boyd N. Boland
United States Magistrate Judge
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO
CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
Civil Action No. 11-cv-01955-BNB Robert J Freeman
Prisoner No. 102492
Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility
PO Box 1000
Crowley, CO 81034
Aristedes Zavaras, Warden
c/o Keith Nordell
Colorado Department of Corrections
Office of Legal Affairs
DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY
John Suthers, Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY
James Quinn, Asst. Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY
COURTESY COPY
I hereby certify that I have mailed a copy of the ORDER to the above-named individuals, and the following forms to Keith Nordell for service of process on Aristedes Zavaras: APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS FILED 07/28/11 on August 4, 2011.
GREGORY C. LANG HAM, CLERK
By: _____________
Deputy Clerk