F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
JUL 31 2001
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
CHRISTOPHER FOOTE,
Petitioner-Appellant,
No. 01-6150
v. (W. District of Oklahoma)
(D.C. No. 00-CV-340-W)
GLYNN BOOHER, Warden,
Respondent-Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before BRISCOE, HENRY, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
This case is before the court on Christopher Foote’s application for a
certificate of appealability (“COA”). Foote seeks a COA so that he can appeal
the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 habeas corpus petition. See 28
U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(A) (providing that a petitioner must first obtain a COA
before he can appeal the denial of a § 2254 habeas petition). Because Foote has
not “made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right,” this court
denies his request for a COA and dismisses the appeal. Id. § 2253(c)(2).
In his § 2254 habeas petition, Foote challenged his Oklahoma state
conviction of second degree burglary, after former conviction of two or more
felonies, for which he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. Foote alleged the
following six grounds for relief in his habeas petition: (1) his conviction was not
supported by sufficient evidence; (2) his trial counsel was constitutionally
ineffective; (3) his appellate counsel was constitutionally ineffective; (4) the trial
court improperly failed to instruct the jury regarding lesser-included offenses; (5)
the trial court improperly refused to give the jury a cautionary instruction
regarding eyewitness identification; and (6) the trial court improperly admitted
evidence of Foote’s prior felony convictions. After the matter was referred to a
magistrate judge for initial proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B), the
magistrate judge issued a comprehensive and well-reasoned Report and
Recommendation, recommending that Foote’s petition be denied. After
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conducting a de novo review, the district court adopted the Report and
Recommendation and denied Foote’s § 2254 habeas petition.
To be entitled to a COA, Foote must make a “substantial showing of the
denial of a constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). Foote may make this
showing by demonstrating the issues he seeks to raise on appeal are debatable
among jurists, a court could resolve the issues differently, or that the questions
presented deserve further proceedings. See Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473,
483-84 (2000). Upon review of Foote’s appellate filings, the magistrate judge’s
well-stated Report and Recommendation, and the entire record, we conclude that
Foote has not made the requisite showing of the denial of a constitutional right
for substantially those reasons set out in the magistrate judge’s Report and
Recommendation. Accordingly, this court GRANTS Foote’s request to proceed
in forma pauperis, DENIES his request for a COA, and DISMISSES the appeal.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT
Michael R. Murphy
Circuit Judge
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