Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Bryan LESTER, a/k/a Mark Shepard, a/k/a Kentucky, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2012-12-19
Citations: 500 F. App'x 259
Docket Number: No. 12-7749
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Bryan LESTER, a/k/a Mark Shepard, a/k/a Kentucky, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before MOTZ, WYNN, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 500
Pages: 259–260

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Richard Bryan LESTER, a/k/a Mark Shepard, a/k/a Kentucky, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 12-7749.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Submitted: Dec. 13, 2012.
Decided: Dec. 19, 2012.
Richard Bryan Lester, Appellant Pro Se.
Lisa Rae McKeel, Assistant United States Attorney, Newport News, Virginia, for Appellee.
Before MOTZ, WYNN, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
Dismissed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Richard Bryan Lester seeks to appeal the district court's order denying relief on his motions seeking reconsideration of the denial of his 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255 (West Supp.2012) motion. The order is not ap-pealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(B) (2006). A certificate of appealability will not issue absent "a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right." 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2) (2006). When the district court denies relief on the merits, a prisoner satisfies this standard by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims is debatable or wrong. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484, 120 S.Ct. 1595, 146 L.Ed.2d 542 (2000); see Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336-38, 123 S.Ct. 1029, 154 L.Ed.2d 931 (2003). When the district court denies relief on procedural grounds, the prisoner must demonstrate both that the dispositive procedural ruling is debatable, and that the motion states a debatable claim of the denial of a constitutional right. Slack, 529 U.S. at 484-85, 120 S.Ct. 1595.
We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Lester has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability, deny leave to proceed in forma pauperis, and dismiss the appeal. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED.