Court Opinion

ID: 1011948
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2013-07-04 20:36:30.114455+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:38:53.144212
License: Public Domain

UNPUBLISHED

                   UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                            No. 03-7089

STEVEN WHEELER,

                                           Petitioner - Appellant,

          versus

R. ANGELONE, Director,

                                            Respondent - Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Leonie M. Brinkema, District
Judge. (CA-02-1562-AM)

Submitted:   October 27, 2003          Decided:     November 17, 2003

Before MOTZ, TRAXLER, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.

Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Steven Wheeler, Appellant Pro Se. Mary Kathleen Beatty Martin,
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, Virginia, for
Appellee.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:

     Steven T. Wheeler seeks to appeal the district court’s order

denying relief on his petition filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254

(2000).    The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or

judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)

(2000).    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) (2000).     A petitioner satisfies this standard

by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that his

constitutional   claims   are   debatable   and   that   any    dispositive

procedural rulings by the district court are also debatable or

wrong.    See Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322,             , 123 S. Ct.

1029, 1040 (2003); Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000);

Rose v. Lee, 252 F.3d 676, 683 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 534 U.S.

941 (2001). We have independently reviewed the record and conclude

that Wheeler has not made the requisite showing.         Accordingly, we

deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. We also

deny Wheeler’s motion for the appointment of counsel.           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

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