                             UNPUBLISHED

                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                        FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT


                             No. 99-7453



ERIC D. SAUNDERS,

                                              Petitioner - Appellant,

          versus


RONALD J. ANGELONE,

                                               Respondent - Appellee.



Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia, at Norfolk. Henry C. Morgan, Jr., District
Judge. (CA-99-1644)


Submitted:   January 20, 2000              Decided:   January 28, 2000


Before WILLIAMS, MICHAEL, and TRAXLER, Circuit Judges.


Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.


Eric D. Saunders, Appellant Pro Se.


Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
See Local Rule 36(c).
PER CURIAM:

     Eric D. Saunders 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).   Although this was a successive petition, the

district court denied relief on the merits.   Because Saunders did

not obtain authorization from this court to file the petition in

the district court, we deny a certificate of appealability and

dismiss the appeal.    See 28 U.S.C.A. § 2244 (West 1994 & Supp.

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




                                 2
