Court Opinion

ID: 4700551
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-07-01 19:03:19.526652+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:11.874658
License: Public Domain

UNPUBLISHED

                       UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                           FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

                                       No. 21-1408

In re: KUNTA KENTA REDD,

                    Petitioner.

                           On Petition for Writ of Mandamus.

Submitted: June 29, 2021                                          Decided: July 1, 2021

Before HARRIS, RICHARDSON, and RUSHING, Circuit Judges.

Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Kunta Kenta Redd, Petitioner Pro Se.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:

       Kunta Kenta Redd petitions for a writ of mandamus, seeking an order from this

court directing an investigation into alleged irregularities in the processing of inmate mail

at the Federal Correctional Institution Ashland. We conclude that Redd is not entitled to

mandamus relief.

       Mandamus relief is a drastic remedy and should be used only in extraordinary

circumstances. Cheney v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 542 U.S. 367, 380 (2004); In re Murphy-Brown,

LLC, 907 F.3d 788, 795 (4th Cir. 2018). Further, mandamus relief is available only when

the petitioner has a clear right to the relief sought and “has no other adequate means to

attain the relief [he] desires.” Murphy-Brown, 907 F.3d at 795 (internal quotation marks

and brackets omitted). Mandamus may not be used as a substitute for appeal. In re

Lockheed Martin Corp., 503 F.3d 351, 353 (4th Cir. 2007).

       The relief sought by Redd is not available by way of mandamus. Accordingly, we

deny the petition for a writ of mandamus. 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.

                                                                       PETITION DENIED

                                             2