UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 05-6630
TONY HALLUMS,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
COLIE RUSHTON; HENRY MCMASTER,
Respondents - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Greenville. Terry L. Wooten, District Judge.
(CA-04-1825-6-25AK)
Submitted: September 27, 2005 Decided: September 30, 2005
Before LUTTIG, MOTZ, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Tony Hallums, Appellant Pro Se. Donald John Zelenka, Chief Deputy
Attorney General, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Tony Hallums, a state prisoner, seeks to appeal the
district court’s order adopting the report and recommendation of
the magistrate judge and dismissing his petition filed under 28
U.S.C. § 2254 (2000). The order is not appealable 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
for claims addressed by a district court on the merits absent “a
substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.” 28
U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2) (2000). As to claims dismissed by a district
court solely on procedural grounds, a certificate of appealability
will not issue unless the petitioner can demonstrate both “(1)
‘that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the
petition states a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional
right and (2) ‘that jurists of reason would find it debatable
whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling.’”
Rose v. Lee, 252 F.3d 676, 684 (4th Cir. 2001) (quoting Slack v.
McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000)).
We have independently reviewed the record and conclude
Hallums has not satisfied either standard. See Miller-El v.
Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336 (2003). Accordingly, we deny a
certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. See 28 U.S.C.
§ 2253(c) (2000). We dispense with oral argument because the facts
and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials
- 2 -
before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
DISMISSED
- 3 -