Risenhoover v. Washington County Community ServicesRisenhoover v. Washington County Community Services
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
I. INTRODUCTION
These related matters are before the undersigned United States District Judge for consideration of: (1) Petitioner Paul Maas Risenhoover’s (“Petitioner”) Objections [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 6] to
II. BACKGROUND
A. Procedural History
Petitioner’s
Judge Boylan’s November 8, 2007, R
& R
in Civil Number 07-4509 recommends summary denial of Petition’s
In Civil Number 07-4518, Magistrate Judge Janie S. Mayeron ordered that the respondents file responses limited to the issue of subject matter jurisdiction. Nov. 27, 2007, Order [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 4], WCCS and its agents Theresa Wilson (“Wilson”), Patricia Kinzer (“Kinzer”), Jenna Pennfield (“Pennfield”) (Wilson, Kinzer, Pennfield, and WCCS collectively are the “WCCS Respondents”) filed a joint Response [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 34] on December 21, 2007, and the Secretary of State filed a Response [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 35] on December 27, 2007. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has not appeared in Civil Number 07-4518.
Because Petitioner’s Petitions in Civil Numbers 07-4509 and 07-4518 arise out of the same nucleus of operative facts and present nearly identical claims, this Court addresses the claims raised in both Petitions in this Order.
B.
C. Factual Background
On March 20, 1995, an Oklahoma state court entered a decree of divorce dissolving the marriage of Petitioner and Ying Liang (“Liang”), awarding primary custody of the couple’s minor son to Petitioner, and ordering Liang to pay child support of $214.92 per month to Petitioner. Civ. No. 07-4509 Mot. for TRO [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 2] at 29-32. On July 25, 1997, the Oklahoma court entered an order reflecting an agreement between Petitioner and Liang that primary custody of the couple’s child be awarded to Liang and that Petitioner pay child support of $500 per month to Liang beginning in May 1997.
In 2005, Liang, who had relocated to Washington County, Minnesota, sought enforcement of the 1997 Oklahoma child support order through WCCS. Civ. No. 07-4509 Mot. for TRO at 2. On December 15, 2005, the State Department issued Petitioner a limited-validity passport rather than a full-validity passport because DHHS had transmitted WCCS’s certification that Petitioner owed more than $5,000 in past due child support. Washington Decl. [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 36] ¶ 7. The limited-validity passport was valid only for direct return to the United States. Id. ¶ 7. Petitioner was living in Taiwan in December 2005. Id. Ex. 2. On February 22, 2006, the State Department issued a full-validity passport to Petitioner based on DHHS’s notification that Petitioner had paid the outstanding child support. Id. ¶ 8.
In March 2007, WCCS certified to DHHS that Petitioner owed more than $2,500 in child support.
III. DISCUSSION
A. This Court Lacks Subject Matter Jurisdiction
1. Standard of Review
Rule 4 of the Rules Governing
2. Petitioner is Not in Custody
Federal jurisdiction exists over petitions for habeas corpus only when the petitioner is in custody:
(1) He is in custody under or by color of the authority of the United States ...; or
(2) He is in custody for an act done or omitted in pursuance of an Act of Congress, or an order, process, judgment or decree of a court or judge of the United States; or
(3) He is in custody in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States....
Given that Petitioner is somewhere in Asia, it is clear that neither WCCS nor the Secretary of State exercises immediate physical custody over Petitioner. Recognizing this, Petitioner cites the Supreme Court’s statement in
Padilla
that federal courts “no longer require physical detention as a prerequisite to habeas relief.”
The reasoning in Judge Boylan’s R & R also applies to Petitioner’s
B. Petition’s Constitutional Challenges Fail
1. Standard of Review
In the alternative, the Court finds Petitioner is not entitled to habeas relief under
2. Petitioner’s Facial Challenges to
Petitioner argues that the passport denial scheme of
Petitioner also attempts to raise a substantive due process claim. “The constitutional right of interstate travel is virtually unqualified. By contrast the ‘right’ of international travel has been considered to be no more than an aspect of the ‘liberty’ protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment ... [and] can be regulated within the bounds of due process.”
Califano v. Torres,
Assuming arguendo that the Government needs an important reason to interfere with an individual’s right to international travel, the Court finds that Congress has an important interest in parents paying child support “because unsupported children must often look to the public fisc, including the federal treasury, for financial sustenance.”
Eunique,
Petitioner next argues that the passport denial scheme of
Petitioner also argues that
Alternatively, Petitioner’s argument fails because
Under the functional test,
The Court finds Petitioner’s numerous other facial constitutional challenges to
3. Petitioner’s Allegation that WCCS Violated his Due Process Rights
Petitioner also claims that WCCS’s March 2007 certification to DHHS that Petitioner owed past due child support violated his rights to due process because there was “no notice, no hearing, and no evidence.”
4. Petitioner’s Argument that this Court Should Modify his Child Support Obligations
Petitioner does not dispute that he owes past due child support under the terms of the 1997 Oklahoma court order. Instead, Petitioner asks this Court to declare the 1997 Oklahoma child support order invalid because the order allegedly violated Oklahoma law and because Petitioner was incompetent to represent himself
pro se
in the Oklahoma proceedings.
C. Petitioner’s Ex Parte Motion for Writ of Mandamus
In his Ex Parte Motion for Writ of Mandamus, Petitioner complains that a State Department regulation issued in November 2007 stated that “United States in a geographical sense means the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.” Passports, 72 Fed.Reg. 64930, 64932 (Nov. 19, 2007). Petitioner complains that this definition excludes United States territories and possessions. However, the regulation was corrected on January 30, 2008, so that the definition now includes “all other United States territories and possessions.” Revisions to Passport Regulations; Correction, 73 Fed. Reg. 5435 (Jan. 30, 2008); 22 C.F.R. 51.1. Therefore, although the basis for Petitioner’s mandamus motion was dubious, any issues raised therein are moot.
D. Petitioner’s Remaining Motions
In his Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and his Motions to Stay, Petitioner requests a temporary injunction that would cause the WCCS Respondents, DHHS, and the State Department to take action to remove the
In his Motions to Supplement Habeas Petition, Petitioner asserts various constitutional claims challenging the fact that citizens of the District of Columbia cannot elect voting members of Congress, and challenging alleged torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. These motions are denied because Petitioner lacks standing to assert these claims.
IV. CONCLUSION
Based upon the foregoing, and all the files, records, and proceedings herein, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
(1) Petitioner Paul Maas Risenhoover’s (“Petitioner”) Objections [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 6] to Magistrate Judge Arthur J. Boylan’s Report and Recommendation [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 5] are OVERRULED;
(2) The Report and Recommendation in Civil Number 07-4509 is ADOPTED IN ITS ENTIRETY;
(3) Petitioner’s28 U.S.C. § 2254 Petition [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 1] is DENIED WITH PREJUDICE;
(4) Petitioner’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket No. 2] is DENIED WITH PREJUDICE;
(5) Petitioner’s Motions to Stay [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket Nos. 7 and 8] are DENIED WITH PREJUDICE;
(6) Petitioner’s Motions to Supplement Habeas Petition [Civ. No. 07-4509 Docket Nos. 12 and 13] are DENIED WITH PREJUDICE;
(7) Petitioner’s28 U.S.C. § 2241 Petition [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 1] is DENIED WITH PREJUDICE; and
(8) Petitioner’s Ex Parte Motion for Writ of Mandamus [Civ. No. 07-4518 Docket No. 42] is DENIED WITH PREJUDICE.
LET JUDGMENT BE ENTERED ACCORDINGLY.
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
This matter is before the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge on Petitioner’s application for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to
Petitioner’s voluminous submissions in this case are almost completely indecipherable.
2
As far as the Court can tell, Peti
Thus, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs current claims for relief, (whatever they may be), cannot be raised and adjudicated in a habeas corpus petition brought under
I.RECOMMENDATION
Based on the foregoing, and all the files, records and proceedings herein,
IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that:
1. Petitioner’s application for a writ of habeas corpus, (Docket No. 1), be DENIED;
2. Petitioner’s application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, (Docket No. 4), be DENIED; and
3. This action be summarily dismissed.
Notes
. Rule 4 provides 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.”
. The substantive grounds for relief listed in Petitioner’s habeas corpus petition, repeated verbatim and in their entirety, are as follows:
"[1] no actual or effective notice to Petitioner prior to adverse action of passport denial by MN, no facially valid order from OK per 4305118.77,20, Ying Liang owes Petitioner $214.92 per mo from 95-97, Pet. gave $7000 to parents for minor child’s care. [2] passport denial viol 13th amend Kozminski holds differently abled entitled to proper regard for their circumstances as Petitioner, the payment plan iscontract debt, not an OK order. [3] Passport denial statute viol Art One habeas suspension. The statute & 005 letter to me says no appeal allowed, thus suspending habeas unconstitutionally. [4] Exile from domicile abroad viol 8th & 3rd amendments. Of first impression on 3rd amend but see petitions before 1789 re quartering overseas extraterritorially, also, last time OK immediately filed crim omission information using passport denial as extrajudicial extradition viol, due process treaties, law of nations.”
(Petition, [Docket No. 1], pp. 4-5.)