(HC) Yocom v. Allison ( 2021 )

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 MICHAEL ALLEN YOCOM, Case No. 1:21-cv-00187-HBK 12 Petitioner, ORDER DENYING PETITIONER’S MOTION FOR EMERGENCY EVIDENTIARY 13 v. HEARING 14 KATHLEEN ALLISON, LAURA (Doc. No. 6) ELDRIDGE, AND ATTORNEY 15 GENERAL, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK TO SEND PETITIONER § 1983 COMPLAINT FORM 16 Respondent. 17 18 Petitioner Michael Allen Yocom, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has pending a 19 petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. (Doc. No. 1). Before the court is 20 petitioner’s motion for emergency evidentiary hearing. (Doc. No. 6). 21 1. Evidentiary Hearing 22 An evidentiary hearing in a habeas proceeding is granted only under limited 23 circumstances. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(2)(A)(ii). Because no response to the petition has yet 24 been filed, it is premature to hold an evidentiary hearing. See Rules Governing Section 2254 25 Cases, R. 8(a). Petitioner’s motion for an evidentiary hearing (Doc. No. 6) is premature. 26 2. Civil Rights Claim 27 Although titled as seeking an emergency evidentiary hearing, petitioner alleges that prison 28 officials are torturing him, have denied him access to health care, and are treating him cruelly and 1 | inhumanely. (Doc. No. 6 at 1-2). Such claims turn on petitioner’s conditions of confinement and 2 | are inappropriate on habeas review. See Badea v. Cox, 931 F. 2d 573, 574 (9th Cir. 1991) (noting 3 | purpose of habeas is to challenge “legality or duration” of a petitioner’s incarceration, quoting 4 | Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 485 (1973)). Instead, “a [42 U.S.C.] § 1983 action is a 5 | proper remedy for a state prisoner who is making a constitutional challenge to the conditions of 6 | his prison life.” Preiser, 411 U.S. at 499. Therefore, to the extent petitioner wishes to challenge 7 | his conditions of confinement, he should do so in a § 1983 civil rights action.! 8 Accordingly, it is ORDERED: 9 1. Petitioner’s motion for emergency evidentiary hearing (Doc. No. 6) is denied. 10 2. The clerk of court is directed to provide petitioner with a blank § 1983 civil rights 11 complaint form. 12 3 IT IS SO ORDERED. ated: _ March 4, 2021 Mihaw. Wh. foareh Zaskth 15 HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA 16 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 | -—T_ ' The court, by separate order, has directed the clerk of court to notify the appropriate prison 28 | officials of petitioner’s claims.