UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 98-7249
JOSEPH R. HEDDINGER,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
SEWALL SMITH, Warden; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
STATE OF MARYLAND,
Respondents - Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, at Baltimore. Benson E. Legg, District Judge. (CA-98-
1079-L)
Submitted: December 15, 1998 Decided: December 29, 1998
Before WIDENER, HAMILTON, and MOTZ, Circuit Judges.
Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Joseph R. Heddinger, Appellant Pro Se. Regina Hollins Lewis, As-
sistant Attorney General, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellees.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:
Joseph R. Heddinger 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. Accordingly, we deny
a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal for the rea-
son that Heddinger received constitutionally effective assistance
of counsel. See Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 59 (1985); Strick-
land v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687-94 (1984). 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
2