UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 04-7372
GREGORY ROLAND PRUESS,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Respondent - Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western
District of North Carolina, at Statesville. Richard L. Voorhees,
District Judge. (CA-99-79-V)
Submitted: January 28, 2005 Decided: February 22, 2005
Before NIEMEYER, WILLIAMS, and KING, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Gregory Roland Pruess, Appellant Pro Se. Brian Lee Whisler,
Assistant United States Attorney, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Gregory Roland Pruess, a federal prisoner, seeks to
appeal the district court’s order denying his motion filed pursuant
to Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b), taken from the district court’s previous
denial of his petition filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (2000).
We affirm the district court’s denial of relief on the ground that
Pruess’ claim previously was considered by the district court in
evaluating Pruess’ § 2241 petition, as well as by this court on
appeal of the district court’s denial of the petition. See United
States v. Pruess, Nos. 01-6346, 02-6803 (4th Cir. Oct. 8, 2002)
(unpublished). Rule 60(b) may not be used to relitigate claims
already decided by the court, CNF Constructors, Inc. v. Donohoe
Constr. Co., 57 F.3d 395, 400 (4th Cir. 1995), and Pruess has
raised no new ground to call into question the propriety of that
decision.* We further affirm the district court’s denial of relief
based on the timeliness of Pruess’ Rule 60(b) 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.
AFFIRMED
*
Although the district court denied relief, in part, in
reliance on this court’s decision in United States v. Winestock,
340 F.3d 200 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 995 (2003), that
case does not apply because this matter arises from Pruess’ § 2241
petition, rather than from a § 2255 motion. Accordingly, neither
the certificate of appealability requirement of 28 U.S.C. § 2253
(2000), nor Winestock, applies to this action.