Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. William Lewis Dontars MEEKS, a/k/a Willie, a/k/a Rock, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2017-11-13
Citations: 701 F. App'x 275
Docket Number: No. 17-6756
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. William Lewis Dontars MEEKS, a/k/a Willie, a/k/a Rock, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before AGEE and FLOYD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 701
Pages: 275–276

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. William Lewis Dontars MEEKS, a/k/a Willie, a/k/a Rock, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 17-6756
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.
Submitted: October 25, 2017
Decided: November 13, 2017
Brian Michael Aus, BRIAN AUS, ATTORNEY AT LAW, Durham, North Carolina, for Appellant. Jill Westmoreland Rose, United States Attorney, Daniel Steven Ryan, Kevin Zolot, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Charlotte, North- Carolina; Thomas Michael Kent, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Asheville, North Carolina, for Appellee.
Before AGEE and FLOYD, Circuit Judges, and HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge.

Opinion:
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
William Lewis Dontars Meeks seeks to appeal the district court's order denying relief on his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2012) motion. The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(B) (2012). 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) (2012). 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 Meeks 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 this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED