Case Name: Raymond Jerome FRANCIS, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Mark T. CALLOWAY; Deborah A. Ausburn; William M. Boyum; Brian L. Whisler, Respondents-Appellees
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2012-02-13
Citations: 465 F. App'x 227
Docket Number: No. 11-6713
Parties: Raymond Jerome FRANCIS, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Mark T. CALLOWAY; Deborah A. Ausburn; William M. Boyum; Brian L. Whisler, Respondents-Appellees.
Judges: Before WILKINSON, AGEE, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 465
Pages: 227–229

Head Matter:
Raymond Jerome FRANCIS, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Mark T. CALLOWAY; Deborah A. Ausburn; William M. Boyum; Brian L. Whisler, Respondents-Appellees.
No. 11-6713.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Submitted: Feb. 9, 2012.
Decided: Feb. 13, 2012.
Raymond Jerome Francis, Appellant Pro Se.
Before WILKINSON, AGEE, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
Dismissed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Raymond Jerome Francis seeks to appeal the district court's order treating his self-styled Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(d)(3) motion as a Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b) motion and dismissing it as a successive 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255 (West Supp.2011) motion, and the district court's order denying his motion for reconsideration. The orders are not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certifícate 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 Francis has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal.
Additionally, we construe Francis' notice of appeal and informal brief as an application to file a second or successive § 2255 motion. United States v. Winestock, 340 F.3d 200, 208 (4th Cir.2003). In order to obtain authorization to file a successive § 2255 motion, a prisoner must assert claims based on either: (1) newly discovered evidence, not previously discoverable by due diligence, that would be sufficient to establish by clear and convincing evidence that, but for constitutional error, no reasonable factfinder would have found the movant guilty of the offense; or (2) a new rule of constitutional law, previously unavailable, made retroactive by the Su preme Court to cases on collateral review. 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255(h) (West Supp.2011). Francis' claims do not satisfy either of these criteria. Therefore, we deny authorization to file a successive § 2255 motion.
We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED.