                              UNPUBLISHED

                   UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT



                              No. 97-2774



LEWIS O. SAUNDERS,

                                              Plaintiff - Appellant,

          versus


RICHARD LOTT,

                                               Defendant - Appellee.



Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, at Baltimore.   William M. Nickerson, District Judge.
(CA-97-1516-WMN)


Submitted:   March 12, 1998                 Decided:   March 23, 1998


Before LUTTIG, WILLIAMS, and MICHAEL, Circuit Judges.


Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.


Lewis O. Saunders, Appellant Pro Se. Andre Michael Forte, MCCARTHY,
WILSON & ETHRIDGE, Rockville, Maryland, for Appellee.


Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.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

     Appellant appeals the district court's order dismissing his

diversity action as barred by res judicata. We have reviewed the

record and the district court's opinion and find no reversible

error. Accordingly, we affirm on the reasoning of the district

court. See Saunders v. Lott, No. CA-97-1516-WMN (D. Md. Nov. 24,
1997). We deny Appellee's motion for sanctions. We dispense with

oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequate-

ly presented in the materials before the court and argument would
not aid the decisional process.




                                                          AFFIRMED




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