Petitioner James Darrell Walker (“Walker”) sought a Certificate of Appeal-ability (“COA”) to appeal the district court’s denial of his habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Walker contended that he received ineffective assistance of counsel (“IAC”) because his attorney failed to file a direct appeal on his behalf after he, Walker, asked the lawyer to do so. After granting Walker a COA on the IAC claim, narrowly construed as the single question whether Walker’s lawyer failed to file the appeal, we remanded the case to the district court for the limited purpose of conducting an evidentiary hearing into whether Walker had in fact requested that his attorney file a direct appeal, and we retained jurisdiction.

The district court concluded on remand that (1) on the advice of his counsel, Walker decided not to file a direct appeal, 1 and (2) Walker signed a document attesting to that fact. As this finding squarely forecloses Walker’s IAC claim, his petition for habeas corpus is DENIED.