United States v. Bryant

144 F. App'x 355
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedOctober 4, 2005
Docket05-7079
StatusUnpublished

This text of 144 F. App'x 355 (United States v. Bryant) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bryant, 144 F. App'x 355 (4th Cir. 2005).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Timothy Donald Bryant seeks to appeal the district court’s order denying relief on his motion for modification of sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C.A. § 3582(c)(2) (West 2000 & Supp.2005), which the district court construed as a successive 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2000) motion. An appeal may not be taken from the final order in a § 2255 proceeding 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 prisoner 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, 336, 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 (4th Cir.2001). We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Bryant has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal.

*356 Additionally, we construe Bryant’s notice of appeal and informal brief on appeal as an application to file a second or successive motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2000). See United States v. Winestock, 340 F.3d 200, 208 (4th Cir.2003). In order to obtain authorization to file a successive § 2255 motion, a prisoner must assert claims based on either: (1) a new rule of constitutional law, previously unavailable, made retroactive by the Supreme Court to cases on collateral review; or (2) newly discovered evidence sufficient to establish that no reasonable fact finder would have found the movant guilty. 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (2000). Bryant’s claims do not satisfy either of these conditions. Therefore, we decline to authorize a successive § 2255 motion.

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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Related

Slack v. McDaniel
529 U.S. 473 (Supreme Court, 2000)
Miller-El v. Cockrell
537 U.S. 322 (Supreme Court, 2003)
Rose v. Lee
252 F.3d 676 (Fourth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Paul Winestock, Jr.
340 F.3d 200 (Fourth Circuit, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
144 F. App'x 355, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bryant-ca4-2005.