Case Name: T. THORNE-EL, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Robert C. LEWIS; L. Soloman; Morris Reid, Respondents-Appellees
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2012-05-07
Citations: 473 F. App'x 207
Docket Number: No. 11-7358
Parties: T. THORNE-EL, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Robert C. LEWIS; L. Soloman; Morris Reid, Respondents-Appellees.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 473
Pages: 207–207

Head Matter:
T. THORNE-EL, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Robert C. LEWIS; L. Soloman; Morris Reid, Respondents-Appellees.
No. 11-7358.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Submitted: April 26, 2012.
Decided: May 7, 2012.
T. Thorne-El, Appellant Pro Se.
Before AGEE, KEENAN, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
T. Thorne-El seeks to appeal the district court's order denying relief on his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (2006) petition. The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certifícate of appealability. See 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(A) (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 petition 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 Thorne-El has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. 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.