In re: Kent Bell ( 2023 )

USCA4 Appeal: 23-2106 Doc: 9 Filed: 12/18/2023 Pg: 1 of 2
UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 23-2106
In re: KENT BELL,
Petitioner.
On Petition for Writ of Mandamus to the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, at Baltimore.
Submitted: December 14, 2023 Decided: December 18, 2023
Before GREGORY and RUSHING, Circuit Judges, and MOTZ, Senior Circuit Judge.
Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Kent Bell, Petitioner Pro Se.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
USCA4 Appeal: 23-2106 Doc: 9 Filed: 12/18/2023 Pg: 2 of 2
PER CURIAM:
Kent Bell petitions for a writ of mandamus seeking an order allowing him to
challenge his 2013 Maryland conviction. We conclude that Bell is not entitled to
mandamus relief.
Mandamus relief is a drastic remedy and should be used only in extraordinary
circumstances. Cheney v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 542 U.S. 367, 380 (2004); In re Murphy-Brown,
LLC, 907 F.3d 788, 795 (4th Cir. 2018). Further, mandamus relief is available only when
the petitioner has a clear right to the relief sought and “has no other adequate means to
attain the relief [he] desires.” Murphy-Brown, 907 F.3d at 795 (alteration and internal
quotation marks omitted). This court does not have jurisdiction to grant mandamus relief
against state officials. Gurley v. Superior Ct. of Mecklenburg Cnty., 411 F.2d 586, 587
(4th Cir. 1969).
The relief sought by Bell is not available by way of mandamus. Accordingly, we
deny the petition for writ of mandamus. We dispense with oral argument because the facts
and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and
argument would not aid the decisional process.
PETITION DENIED
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