1 2 3 4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 5 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 6 SAN JOSE DIVISION 7 8 KEENAN GEORGE, Case No. 24-cv-01422-VKD

9 Petitioner, ORDER OF TRANSFER v. 10

11 TRENT ALLEN, Acting Warden, Respondent. 12

13 14 Keenan George, a state prisoner currently confined at Salinas Valley State Prison in 15 Soledad, California, filed a document in pro se entitled, “Petitioner request to have collateral relief 16 to re-open case from a wrongful conviction.” Dkt. No. 1. The Clerk construed this filing as an 17 attempt to file a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging Mr. George’s state conviction out of 18 Los Angeles County. See Dkt. No. 1 at 1. The Clerk sent Mr. George a notice advising him to file 19 a petition using the proper form, along with an in forma pauperis application. Dkt. Nos. 2, 3. 20 A petition for a writ of habeas corpus made by a person in custody under the judgment and 21 sentence of a state court of a state which contains two or more federal judicial districts may be 22 filed in either the district of confinement or the district of conviction. See

(d). 23 Mr. George’s district of confinement is the Northern District of California, which includes 24 Monterey County where Soledad is located.

(b). However, Mr. George’s district of 25 conviction is the Western Division of the Central District of California, which includes Los 26 Angeles County.

(c)(2). 27 Federal courts in California traditionally have chosen to hear habeas petitions challenging a 1 3(b)(1); Dannenberg v. Ingle,

(N.D. Cal. 1993); Laue v. Nelson,

Supp. 265, 266 (N.D. Cal. 1968). Accordingly, in the exercise of its discretion and in the 3 || furtherance of justice, the Court finds that this case should be transferred to the United States 4 District Court for the Western Division of the Central District of California. See 28 U.S.C. 5 § 1406(a); Habeas L.R. 2254-3(b)(1). 6 The Clerk of the Court shall terminate all pending motions and transfer the entire file to the 7 Western Division of the Central District of California. 8 IT IS SO ORDERED. 9 Dated: March 13, 2024 10 . 0% ‘ 11 VIRGINIA K. DEMARCHI 12 United States Magistrate Judge

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