Reported / Citable
Background
Juan Pedro Correa, a state prisoner incarcerated at the Garza West Unit in Beeville, Texas, filed this habeas action on August 5, 2026. He challenges his 2024 convictions in Hidalgo County.
Beeville is within the Corpus Christi Division of the Southern District of Texas, while the court that convicted Correa is located in the district’s McAllen Division. Under 28 U.S.C. § 2241(d), a state prisoner may file a habeas action either where the prisoner is confined or where the conviction occurred.
The Court’s Holding
The court transferred the case from the Corpus Christi Division to the McAllen Division of the Southern District of Texas. It concluded that transfer would be more convenient and would further the interests of justice because Correa was convicted in Hidalgo County.
The court noted that the records concerning Correa’s conviction, as well as the prosecutor and defense lawyers, are located in the McAllen Division. It denied all pending motions as moot, without preventing their renewal after transfer, directed the clerk to close the Corpus Christi case, and cited 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241(d), 1404(a), and 1406(a) as authority for transfer.
Key Takeaways
- A state habeas petition may be filed either where the petitioner is confined or where the challenged conviction occurred.
- The location of conviction records, prosecutors, and defense counsel supported transfer to the McAllen Division.
- Pending motions were denied as moot but may be renewed after the transfer.
Why It Matters
The order illustrates that even when a habeas petition is properly filed in the division where a prisoner is confined, the court may transfer it to the division of conviction when that forum has closer access to the relevant records and participants.