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Wyatt Champ, and Jerome Duvall Terry Miller Jeffrey Johnson Sherman Yarborough Stanley Faison Rickie Kaintuck Vernon Lomax Glen Ford James Alston Harvey Brown, Gary L. Morgan Kelly Robinson Ricky Daughton Gregory MacOn v. Harry R. Hughes, Governor, State of Maryland Blair Lee, Iii, Former Governor, State of Maryland Robert J. Lally, Former Secretary, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Mark A. Levine, Commissioner, Maryland Division of Correction Louis L. Goldstein, Member, Board of Public Works William S. James, Member, Board of Public Works Henry P. Turner, Chairman, Maryland Parole Commission James L. Thomas, Former Member, Maryland Parole Commission Thomas D'alesandro, Jr., Member, Maryland Parole Commission Jasper Clay, Jr., Member, Maryland Parole Commission Lewis Einschultz, Member, Maryland Parole Commission Isiah Larkin, Jr., Member Maryland Parole Commission Herbert Matz, Member, Maryland Parole Commission William Donald Schaefer, Mayor, City of Baltimore Paul Davis, Warde

Citations: 23 F.3d 400; 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 18452; 1994 WL 159704Docket: 93-6802

Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; April 28, 1994; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

The case involves Wyatt Champ, the plaintiff-appellant, along with multiple co-plaintiffs, appealing against various Maryland state officials, including the Governor and members of the Maryland Parole Commission, among others. The appeal is from a decision by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, where the district court denied Champ's objections to the 1993 Amended Consolidated Decree. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the record and the district court's opinion and concluded that the appeal lacked merit. The court affirmed the district court's decision, referencing its reasoning in the original ruling. The appeal was submitted on April 5, 1994, and decided on April 28, 1994, with the panel comprising Circuit Judges Hall, Luttig, and Michael. The court opted not to hold oral arguments, as the existing materials sufficiently presented the facts and legal arguments. The final ruling confirmed the district court's denial of the objections.

Legal Issues Addressed

Affirmation of District Court Rulings

Application: The appellate court affirmed the district court's decision to deny the plaintiff's objections to the 1993 Amended Consolidated Decree, supporting the lower court's reasoning.

Reasoning: The court affirmed the district court's decision, referencing its reasoning in the original ruling.

Appellate Review Standard for District Court Decisions

Application: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals conducted a review of the district court's decision and found the appeal to lack merit, affirming the decision without requiring further oral arguments.

Reasoning: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the record and the district court's opinion and concluded that the appeal lacked merit.

Discretion of Appellate Court to Forego Oral Argument

Application: The appellate court determined that oral argument was unnecessary as the submitted materials adequately presented the facts and legal positions, allowing the court to decide based on the record.

Reasoning: The court opted not to hold oral arguments, as the existing materials sufficiently presented the facts and legal arguments.