UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 97-7665
JAMES EDWARD SMITH,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
EARL BESHEARS, Warden; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
STATE OF MARYLAND,
Respondents - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, at Greenbelt. Deborah K. Chasanow, District Judge. (CA-
97-2585-DKC)
Submitted: July 2, 1998 Decided: July 20, 1998
Before NIEMEYER and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges, and HALL, Senior
Circuit Judge.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
James Edward Smith, Appellant Pro Se.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
James E. Smith, Jr., seeks to appeal the district court’s
order denying relief on his petition filed under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2254
(West 1994 & Supp. 1998). We have reviewed the record and the
district court’s opinion and find no reversible error.* Accord-
ingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the ap-
peal on the reasoning of the district court. Smith v. Beshears, No.
CA-97-2585-DKC (D. Md. Sept. 30, 1997). 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
*
While Smith did appeal the denial of his state postconvic-
tion relief, he did not raise the claims he seeks to assert in this
petition. Therefore, the district court properly ruled that Smith’s
claims are procedurally barred. See Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S.
478, 489-91 (1986).
2