Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Tyrone SMALLWOOD, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2010-01-20
Citations: 361 F. App'x 488
Docket Number: No. 09-6215
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, v. Tyrone SMALLWOOD, Defendant—Appellant.
Judges: Before MOTZ, GREGORY, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 361
Pages: 488–489

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff—Appellee, v. Tyrone SMALLWOOD, Defendant—Appellant.
No. 09-6215.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Submitted: Jan. 14, 2010.
Decided: Jan. 20, 2010.
Tyrone Smallwood, Appellant pro se. Benjamin L. Hatch, Assistant United States Attorney, Alexandria, VA, for Ap-pellee.
Before MOTZ, GREGORY, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
Dismissed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Tyrone Smallwood seeks to appeal the district court's order denying relief on his 28 U.S.C.A. § 2255 (West Supp.2009) motion. The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1) (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). A prisoner satisfies this standard by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that any assessment of the constitutional claims by the district court is debatable or wrong and that any dispositive procedural ruling by the district court is likewise debatable. Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336-38, 123 S.Ct. 1029, 154 L.Ed.2d 931 (2003); Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484, 120 S.Ct. 1595, 146 L.Ed.2d 542 (2000); Rose v. Lee, 252 F.3d 676, 683-84 (4th Cir.2001). We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Smallwood has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny Smallwood's motion to appoint counsel, deny Smallwood's motions to file an amended complaint in which he seeks to add new claims on appeal, deny a certificate of appealability, and dismiss the ap peal. 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.