Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04977/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04977-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Stuart Ryan
Respondent
Vassar Smith
Petitioner

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VASSAR SMITH,

Petitioner,

 v.

STUART RYAN, Warden,

Respondent. /

No. C 03-04977 JSW

ORDER DENYING APPLICATION

FOR CERTIFICATE OF

APPEALABILITY

This is a habeas case under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 filed by a state prisoner. The petition was

denied on the basis that the Petitioner failed to show any violation of his federal constitutional

rights in the underlying state criminal proceedings. Petitioner has filed a notice of appeal and

an application for certificate of appealability. 

A petitioner may not appeal a final order in a federal habeas corpus proceeding without

first obtaining a certificate of appealability (formerly known as a certificate of probable cause to

appeal). See 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c); Fed. R. App. P. 22(b). A judge shall grant a certificate of

appealability “only if the applicant has made a substantial showing of the denial of a

constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). The certificate must indicate which issues satisfy

this standard. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(3). “Where a district court has rejected the constitutional

claims on the merits the showing required to satisfy § 2253(c) is straightforward: the petitioner 

must demonstrate that reasonable jurists would find the district court’s assessment of the

constitutional claims debatable or wrong.” Slack v. McDaniel, 120 S.Ct. 1595, 1604 (2000). 

For the reasons discussed in the order denying the petition, petitioner has not shown that

Case 3:03-cv-04977-JSW Document 27 Filed 06/01/05 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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reasonable jurists would disagree that the claims in his petition are without merit. Accordingly,

the application for certificate of appealability is DENIED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 1, 2005 /s/ Jeffrey S. White 

JEFFREY S. WHITE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:03-cv-04977-JSW Document 27 Filed 06/01/05 Page 2 of 2