Van Godwin v. Warden, Maryland House of Corrections-Annex

91 F. App'x 871

• Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Decided: March 26, 2004
• Docket: 03-7528
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Reginald Van Godwin seeks to appeal the district court’s order dismissing his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (2000) petition. Godwin cannot appeal this order unless a circuit judge or justice issues a certificate of appealability, and 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 habeas appellant meets 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 Godwin 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 ade quately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

DISMISSED