UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JAMELL TREMAINE ROBINSON
June 30, 2026·25-6899·Per Curiam·By James Taylor
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a federal prisoner seeking relief under Section twenty-eight U.S.C. Section two thousand two hundred fifty-five. The court denied a certificate of appealability because the appellant failed to make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.
Jamell Tremaine Robinson, proceeding pro se, sought to appeal a district court order denying relief on his motion under Section twenty-eight U.S.C. Section two thousand two hundred fifty-five. The district court had denied the motion, and Robinson requested a certificate of appealability to proceed with his appeal.
The court’s reasoning
The court explained that an order denying relief on a Section two thousand two hundred fifty-five motion is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. To obtain such a certificate, a prisoner must make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. When the district court denies relief on the merits, the prisoner must show that reasonable jurists could find the assessment debatable or wrong. The court independently reviewed the record and concluded that Robinson had not made the requisite showing.
What it means going forward
The dismissal prevents the appellant from pursuing further appellate review of the district court’s denial of his Section two thousand two hundred fifty-five motion.
