UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 99-1486

GARY R. JONES, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus

SHAWN R. ARLEDGE; CITY OF CHESAPEAKE, Defendants - Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern Dis- trict of Virginia, at Norfolk. Rebecca B. Smith, District Judge. (CA-98-482-2)

Submitted: September 30, 1999 Decided: October 5, 1999

Before NIEMEYER, WILLIAMS, and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Gary R. Jones, Appellant Pro Se. Alan Brody Rashkind, FURNISS, DAVIS, RASHKIND & SAUNDERS, Norfolk, Virginia; Thomas Jeffrey Salb, BREEDEN, MACMILLAN & GREEN, Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellees.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

See Local Rule 36(c).

PER CURIAM: Gary R. Jones appeals the district court’s order dismissing his 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 (West Supp. 1999) action, following a jury trial. On appeal, Jones alleges his counsel was ineffective.

Because claimants are not entitled to counsel in a § 1983 action, there is no right to constitutionally effective counsel. See Sanchez v. United States Postal Serv., 785 F.2d 1236, 1237 (5th Cir. 1986); Nicholson v. Rushen, 767 F.2d 1426, 1427 (9th Cir. 1985). Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal conten- tions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED