UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 99-6186

JOEL MILTON BRYANT, Petitioner - Appellant, versus

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA; ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND, Respondents - Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, at Baltimore. Frederic N. Smalkin, District Judge. (CA- 99-37-S)

Submitted: June 8, 1999 Decided: June 28, 1999

Before NIEMEYER, LUTTIG, and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.

Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Joel Milton Bryant, Appellant Pro Se.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

See Local Rule 36(c).

PER CURIAM: Joel Milton Bryant seeks to appeal the district court’s order denying relief on his petition filed under 28 U.S.C.A. § 2254 (West 1994 & Supp. 1999). 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 on the reasoning of the district court. See Bryant v. Virginia, No. CA- 99-37-S (D. Md. Jan. 13, 1999).* 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

* Although the district court’s order is marked as “filed” on January 12, 1999, the district court’s records show it was entered on the docket sheet on January 13, 1999. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 58 and 79(a), we consider this date as the effective date of the district court’s decision. See Wilson v. Murray, 806 F.2d 1232, 1234-35 (4th Cir. 1986).