# Lundy v. Brittain

> District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania · June 27, 2022

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10411985

## Case

- **Court:** District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
- **Decided:** June 27, 2022
- **Opinion:** 100trialcourt
- **Cited by:** 0 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10411985

## How later opinions describe it (automated extraction)

- explaining judges should give some review to every report and recommendation

## Opinion text

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

STEVEN LUNDY, :

Petitioner : CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:22-578

v. : (JUDGE MANNION)

KATHY BRITTAIN, et al., :

:
Respondent

O R D E R

Pending before the court is the report and recommendation of
Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson which recommends that the petition for
writ of habeas corpus filed in the above-captioned matter be denied and no
certificate of appealability should issue. (Doc. 6). The petitioner has filed
objections to the report. (Doc. 7).
When objections are timely filed to the report and recommendation of
a magistrate judge, the district court must review de novo those portions of
the report to which objections are made. 28 U.S.C. '636(b)(1); Brown v.
Astrue, 649 F.3d 193, 195 (3d Cir. 2011). Although the standard is de novo,
the extent of review is committed to the sound discretion of the district judge,
and the court may rely on the recommendations of the magistrate judge to
the extent it deems proper. Rieder v. Apfel, 115 F.Supp.2d 496, 499 (M.D.Pa.
2000) (citing United States v. Raddatz, 447 U.S. 667, 676 (1980)).

For those sections of the report and recommendation to which no
objection is made, the court should, as a matter of good practice, satisfy itself
that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the

recommendation. Fed.R.Civ.P. 72(b), advisory committee notes; see also
Univac Dental Co. v. Dentsply Intern., Inc., 702 F.Supp.2d 465, 469 (M.D.Pa.
2010) (citing Henderson v. Carlson, 812 F.2d 874, 878 (3d Cir. 1987)
(explaining judges should give some review to every report and

recommendation)). Nevertheless, whether timely objections are made or not,
the district court may accept, not accept, or modify, in whole or in part, the
findings or recommendations made by the magistrate judge. 28 U.S.C.

§636(b)(1); Local Rule 72.31.
Petitioner filed the instant habeas corpus action seeking to challenge
his conviction in the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County for
strangulation. Commonwealth v. Lundy, CP-45-CR0003000-2017. This is

petitioner’s second attempt at challenging this conviction by way of a habeas
corpus petition. See Lundy v. Brittain, No. 1:21-CV-1259, 2021 WL 5442243,
(M.D.Pa. Aug. 23, 2021).1 Judge Carlson recommends that the instant
petition be dismissed pursuant to Rule 4 of the Rules Governing Section

2254 Cases. 28 U.S.C. §2254. To this extent, Judge Carlson concludes that
this court lacks jurisdiction over the instant action as it is a second or
successive petition for which petitioner has failed to meet the procedural

prerequisites for filing. See 28 U.S.C. §2244(a)-(b). Moreover, Judge
Carlson concludes that the petition substantively lacks merit as there are no
factual grounds justifying habeas corpus relief.
Although the petitioner has filed objections, he does not substantively

challenge the findings or conclusions in Judge Carlson’s report. Upon
review, the court finds no clear error of record and agrees with the sound
reasoning which led Judge Carlson to his conclusions. As such, the court will

adopt Judge Carlson’s report and recommendation as the decision of the
court.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
(1) The report and recommendation of Judge Carlson (Doc. 6) is

ADOPTED IN ITS ENTIRETY as the decision of the court.
(2) The petition for writ of habeas corpus (Doc. 1), is DENIED.

1As noted by Judge Carlson, petitioner is a prolific pro se litigant in this
court. (Doc. 6, p. 2, n. 1).
(3) A certificate of appealability shall not issue.
(4) The Clerk of Court is directed to CLOSE THIS CASE.

s/ Malachy E. Mannion
United States District Judge
DATE: June 27, 2022
22-578-01

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10411985. Public record. Not legal advice.
