                              UNPUBLISHED

                   UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT


                              No. 02-7928



LAWRENCE MERLE BRUNO,

                                             Petitioner - Appellant,

          versus


COLIE L. RUSHTON; CHARLES M. CONDON, Attorney
General of South Carolina,

                                            Respondents - Appellees.



Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
South Carolina, at Columbia. Henry M. Herlong, Jr., District Judge.
(CA-02-772)


Submitted:   March 14, 2003                 Decided:   March 27, 2003


Before NIEMEYER, KING, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.


Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion.


Lawrence Merle Bruno, Appellant Pro Se. Donald John Zelenka, Chief
Deputy Attorney General, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellees.


Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.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

      Lawrence Merle Bruno seeks to appeal the district court’s

order following the recommendation of the magistrate judge and

denying relief on his petition filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (2000).

We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Bruno

has   not   made   a    substantial    showing   of    the    denial    of    a

constitutional right. See Miller-El v. Cockrell,              U.S.      , 2003

WL 431659, at *10 (U.S. Feb. 25, 2003) (No. 01-7662). Accordingly,

we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. See

28 U.S.C. § 2253(c) (2000). 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




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