Opinion
Civil Action 7:21-cv-012-O-BP
09-23-2021
DANNY RICHARD RIVERS, TDCJ No. 01775951, Petitioner, v. BOBBY LUMPKIN, Director, Texas Dep't of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, Respondent.
ORDER ACCEPTING FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE AND TRANSFERRING THIS CASE TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
Reed O' Connor UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
This is a habeas action brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 in which Petitioner challenges the validity of his conviction and sentence in the 30th Judicial District Court of Wichita County, Texas, for continuous sexual abuse of a young child, indecency with a child by sexual contact and by exposure, and possession of child pornography. The United States Magistrate Judge entered his Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation in which he determined that the petition is successive. See ECF No. 25. He recommends that the petition be transferred to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Id. Petitioner has filed objections. See ECF No. 27.
The District Court reviewed de novo those portions of the Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation to which objections were made and reviewed the remaining Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation for plain error. Finding no error, I am of the opinion that the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and reasons for transfer set forth in the Magistrate Judge's Recommendation are correct and they are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the Findings of the Court.
Where a petition for writ of habeas corpus is second or successive, the petitioner must seek an order from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that authorizes this Court to consider the petition. See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(3)(A). Because the instant petition is successive, the district court is without jurisdiction to entertain the petition unless leave to file is granted by the Court of Appeals. See Crone v. Cockrell, 324 F.3d 833 (5th Cir. 2003).
It is therefore ORDERED that the petition for writ of habeas corpus, brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, is hereby TRANSFERRED to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit pursuant to Henderson v. Haro, 282 F.3d 862, 864 (5th Cir. 2002) and In re Epps, 127 F.3d 364, 365 (5th Cir. 1997). Petitioner's pending motions are DISMISSED as MOOT.
SO ORDERED