Roberts v. Briggs

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

TARIK LENNOX ROBERTS, :

Petitioner, : 1:21-cv-0227

:

v. : Hon. John E. Jones III

:

GREGORY BRIGGS, :

Respondent. :

MEMORANDUM

March 30, 2021

On February 8, 2021, Petitioner Tarik Lennox Roberts (“Roberts”), a pretrial

detainee confined at the Dauphin County Prison, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,

initiated the instant petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.

He seeks to proceed in forma pauperis. (Doc. 4).

Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the United States

District Courts states that “[i]f it plainly appears from the petition and any attached

exhibits that the petitioner is not entitled to relief in the district court, the judge

must dismiss the petition and direct the clerk to notify the petitioner.” Rule 1(b)

permits application of rules to habeas corpus petitions pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

2241. A petition may be dismissed without review of an answer when the petition

is frivolous, or obviously lacking in merit, or where . . . the necessary facts can be

determined from the petition itself. . . . ” Allen v. Perini, 424 F.2d 134, 141 (6th

Cir. 1970).

Preliminary review reveals that the petition is subject to summary dismissal.

I. BACKGROUND

Roberts asserts that the sworn probable cause affidavit filed in his criminal

case pending in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County, MJ-12305-CR-

0000338-2019, contains false and inaccurate information. (Doc. 1, p. 7). He also

complains that he has no access to adequate legal material in violation of the Fifth

Amendment and contends that his legal counsel is ineffective. (Id.). He is

requesting that the criminal case be dismissed with prejudice. (Id. at 8).

An electronic search of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web

Portal, https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CP.aspx, indicates that the action

Roberts is challenging is pending in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin

County and bears docket number CP-22-CR-5956-2019. Review of the docket

reveals the recent entry of appearance of a new attorney on March 1, 2021, and a

docket entry on March 24, 2021 stating: “Trial Continued – Defendant Not Ready

– Defense Attorney.”

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II. DISCUSSION

Because Roberts is a pretrial detainee, the matter is appropriately considered

a petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. See Glazewski v. United States, No. CV

16-3052 (RBK), 2017 WL 2899686, at *1 (D.N.J. July 6, 2017) collecting the

following cases: “See Thomas v. New Jersey, No. 16–1436, 2016 WL 345701, at

*1 (D.N.J. June 20, 2016) (construing habeas petition that was filed under § 2254

as one that is filed under § 2241 because petitioner is a state pretrial detainee);

Smith v. Pennsylvania State Attorney Gen., No. 11–1813, 2011 WL 6012976, at *1

(M.D. Pa. Nov. 3, 2011) (holding that as a pretrial detainee, petitioner was not in

custody pursuant to a state court judgment and could not proceed under § 2254, but

could proceed under § 2241), report and recommendation Case 3:17-cv-01465-2

adopted, 2011 WL 6012933 (M.D. Pa. Dec. 1, 2011); Avila v. New Jersey, No. 07–

3387, 2007 WL 2682937, at *4 n.4 (D.N.J. Sept. 6, 2007).” Federal courts have

jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 to issue a writ of habeas corpus before a state

court criminal judgment is entered. See Moore v. De Young, 515 F.2d 437, 441– 42

(3d Cir. 1975); see also Duran v. Thomas, 393 F. App’x. 3, 4 (3d Cir. 2010)

(stating “[S]ection 2241 authorizes a federal court to issue a writ of habeas corpus

to any pre-trial detainee who is in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws

or treaties of the United States.”) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).

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Generally, federal courts must adjudicate all cases and controversies that are

properly before them. New Orleans Pub. Serv., Inc. v. Council of City of New

Orleans, 491 U.S. 350, 358 (1989). Abstention, however, “is the judicially created

doctrine under which a federal court will decline to exercise its jurisdiction so that

a state court or state agency will have the opportunity to decide the matters at

issue.” Heritage Farms, Inc. v. Solebury Twp., 671 F.2d 743, 746 (3d Cir. 1982).

In Younger v. Harris, the United States Supreme Court “established a principle of

abstention when federal adjudication would disrupt an ongoing state criminal

proceeding.” Yang v. Tsui, 416 F.3d 199, 202 (3d Cir. 2005) (discussing Younger,

401 U.S. 37 (1971)). The Younger Court based its decision on the principles of

comity and “the longstanding public policy against federal court interference with

state court proceedings.” Younger, 401 U.S. at 43. Younger abstention applies

when the following three requirements are met: “(1) there are ongoing state

proceedings that are judicial in nature; (2) the state proceedings implicate

important state interests; and (3) the state proceedings afford an adequate

opportunity to raise the federal claims.” Lazaridis v. Wehmer, 591 F.3d 666, 670

(3d Cir. 2010) (quoting Addiction Specialists, Inc. v. Twp. of Hampton, 411 F.3d

399, 408 (3d Cir. 2005)).

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Notably, even when all requirements are met, abstention is not appropriate

when the following extraordinary circumstances exist: “(1) the state proceedings

are being undertaken in bad faith or for purposes of harassment or (2) some other

extraordinary circumstances exist, such as proceedings pursuant to a flagrantly

unconstitutional statute. . . .” Schall v. Jovce, 885 F.2d 101, 106 (3d Cir. 1989).

These exceptions are to be narrowly construed. Loftus v. Twp. of Lawrence Park,

764 F. Supp. 354, 357 (W.D. Pa. 1991).

It is evident from the state court electronic docket sheet and the contents of

the petition that Roberts in engaged in ongoing criminal proceedings which

implicate important state interests and is actively engaged in defense of those

proceedings. It also appears that Roberts was appointed a new public defender

after he commenced this action. At present, the matter is scheduled for trial.

Because there is relief available at the state court level, there is an absence of

extraordinary circumstances that would warrant the intervention of a federal court

on this issue. Thus, out of deference to the state judicial process, it is appropriate

to abstain from entertaining the petition and Roberts’ invitation to dismiss the

criminal complaint against him. Indeed, “[i]n no area of the law is the need for a

federal court to stay its hand pending completion of state proceedings more evident

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than in the case of pending criminal proceedings.” Evans v. Court of Common

Pleas, 959 F.2d 1227, 1234 (3d Cir. 1992).

B. Civil Rights Claim

Roberts also includes a civil rights claim in his habeas petitions. “[H]abeas

relief is clearly quite limited: ‘The underlying purpose of proceedings under the

‘Great Writ’ of habeas corpus has traditionally been to ‘inquire into the legality of

the detention, and the only judicial relief authorized was the discharge of the

prisoner or his admission to bail, and that only if his detention were found to be

unlawful.’” Leamer v. Fauver, 288 F.3d 532, 540 (3d Cir. 2002) (quoting Powers

of Congress and the Court Regarding the Availability and Scope of Review, 114

Harv.L.Rev. 1551, 1553 (2001)). When seeking to impose liability due to the

deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and

laws, the appropriate remedy is a civil rights action. See Leamer, 288 F.3d at 540.

“Habeas corpus is not an appropriate or available federal remedy.” See Linnen v.

Armainis, 991 F.2d 1102, 1109 (3d Cir. 1993).

His claim of inadequate access to a law library is erroneously included in his

petition for writ of habeas corpus as it does not involve a challenge to the legality

of his present incarceration. Consequently, the claim will be dismissed without

prejudice to his right to reassert it in a properly filed civil rights action.

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III. CONCLUSION

For the reasons set forth above, the petition for writ of habeas corpus will be

dismissed.

A separate Order will enter.

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