Antrum v. Johnson
Docket: No. 09-7599
Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; July 29, 2010; Federal Appellate Court
Douglas Antrum, a state prisoner, appealed the district court’s denial of his motion for sanctions under Fed. R. Civ. P. 11. The appellate court found no reversible error and affirmed the denial of sanctions as justified by the district court's reasoning. Additionally, Antrum challenged the prior denial of his petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 through a Rule 60(b) motion, which the district court also denied. This part of the order is not appealable without a certificate of appealability from a circuit justice or judge, which requires a substantial showing of a constitutional right’s denial. The court referenced the standards for issuing a certificate of appealability, indicating that Antrum failed to meet these requirements. Consequently, the appeal regarding the Rule 60(b) motion was dismissed. The court decided that oral argument was unnecessary as the materials provided were sufficient for decision-making. The ruling was affirmed in part and dismissed in part.