Hargis v. Waters

UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 95-7802 GREGORY A. HARGIS, Government of the United States, Ex. Rel., Petitioner - Appellant, versus LLOYD L. WATERS, Warden, Maryland Correctional Institution-H; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, Respondents - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, at Baltimore. Herbert N. Maletz, Senior Judge, sitting by designation. (CA-95-100-MJG) Submitted: March 12, 1996 Decided: April 19, 1996 Before NIEMEYER, WILLIAMS, and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges. Affirmed as modified by unpublished per curiam opinion. Gregory A. Hargis, Appellant Pro Se. John Joseph Curran, Jr., Attorney General, Tarra R. DeShields-Minnis, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MARYLAND, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellees. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See Local Rule 36(c). PER CURIAM: Appellant appeals from the district court's order denying re- lief on his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (1988) petition. We have reviewed the record and the district court's opinion, and affirm on alternate reasoning the order of the district court. While the Appellant's claims are not procedurally barred, they are without merit because Appellant has not shown he was prejudiced by counsel's alleged errors at trial. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Accordingly, we grant a certificate of probable cause, deny the Appellant's motion for summary disposition, and affirm the order of the district court. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the mate- rials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED 2