UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 03-6532
WALTER LEE WRIGHT,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
JOSEPH P. SACCHET,
Respondent - Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, at Baltimore. Alexander Williams, Jr., District Judge.
(CA-03-333-8-AW)
Submitted: June 19, 2003 Decided: June 25, 2003
Before NIEMEYER, KING, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Walter Lee Wright, Appellant Pro Se.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Walter Lee Wright appeals the order of the district court
denying relief on his claim filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (2000).
Wright’s claim before the district court sought to challenge the
judgment of a Maryland state court denying relief on an earlier
civil rights complaint filed by Wright in that court. The writ of
habeas corpus is available for those alleging they are “in custody
in violation of the Constitution or laws or treaties of the United
States.” § 2254(a). Moreover, the district court does not have
jurisdiction over the judgments of state courts. See District of
Columbia Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462 (1983); Rooker
v. Fidelity Trust Co., 263 U.S. 413 (1923) (noting exclusive
jurisdiction over state court action is in the Supreme Court of the
United States). Accordingly, because the relief sought by Wright
was unavailable under § 2254, and because the district court did
not have jurisdiction to consider the claim, we find no error in
the district court’s order of dismissal. We therefore 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
2