Joel McPherson v. JOSEPH SMITH, Warden, Edgefield Federal Correctional Institution

UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 03-7633
JOEL MCPHERSON,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
versus
JOSEPH SMITH, Warden, Edgefield Federal
Correctional Institution; UNITED STATES PAROLE
COMMISSION,
Defendants - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Greenville. Margaret B. Seymour, District
Judge. (CA-02-3648-6-24AK)
Submitted: April 28, 2004 Decided: May 14, 2004
Before LUTTIG, WILLIAMS, and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Joel McPherson, Appellant Pro Se. Barbara Murcier Bowens, OFFICE OF
THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Columbia, South Carolina, for
Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).

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PER CURIAM:
Joel McPherson seeks to appeal the district court’s order
denying relief on his petition filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (2000).
An appeal may not be taken from the final order in a habeas corpus
proceeding unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate
of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1) (2000); see Madley v.
U.S. Parole Comm’n, 278 F.3d 1306, 1309-10 (D.C. Cir.), cert.
denied, 537 U.S. 1004 (2002). 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
(2003); Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000); Rose v. Lee,
252 F.3d 676, 683 (4th Cir 2001). We have independently reviewed
the record and conclude that McPherson 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 the court and argument would not aid the
decisional process.
DISMISSED

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