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James Elliott McNeil v. Parker Evatt Attorney General of The State of South Carolina, 81 F.3d 150, 4th Cir. (1996)
James Elliott McNeil v. Parker Evatt Attorney General of The State of South Carolina, 81 F.3d 150, 4th Cir. (1996)
3d 150
James Elliott McNeil, Appellant Pro Se. Donald John Zelenka, Chief
Deputy Attorney General, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellees.
Before MURNAGHAN and WILKINS, Circuit Judges, and PHILLIPS,
Senior Circuit Judge.
OPINION
PER CURIAM:
James Elliott McNeil appeals from the district court's order adopting the
magistrate judge's report and recommendation and denying McNeil's 28 U.S.C.
2254 (1988) petition. After reviewing the evidence submitted, the magistrate
judge recommended granting Respondents' motion for summary judgment.
McNeil was not notified of the consequences of failing to file objections, and
he did not object to the recommendation. The district court accepted the
magistrate judge's recommendation and denied the 2254 petition.
Failure to notify the litigant that he may file objections and that failure to file
objections waives appellate review may be harmless error if objections were
filed or if the district court conducts a de novo review. See Braxton v. Estelle,
641 F.2d 392, 397 (5th Cir.1981). Here, McNeil did not file objections. Also,
we are unable to tell from the order adopting the magistrate's report whether a
proper de novo review of the record was conducted. See Orpiano v. Johnson,
687 F.2d 44, 48 (4th Cir.1982).
3
The district court may not rely solely upon the magistrate's summary of the
evidence because "an appellate court must be satisfied that a district court has
exercised his nondelegable authority by considering the actual testimony, and
not merely by reviewing the magistrate's report and recommendation." Wimmer
v. Cook, 774 F.2d 68, 76 (4th Cir.1985) (quoting United States v. Elsoffer, 644
F.2d 357, 359 (5th Cir.1981)).
Because the record does not reveal whether McNeil was notified that failure to
object to the magistrate judge's recommendation waives appellate review and
because the record does not disclose that the district court conducted a de novo
review in the absence of such notice or objections, we grant a certificate of
probable cause to appeal, vacate the district court's order, and remand with
instructions for the district court to conduct a de novo review or to clarify
whether a de novo review was conducted. 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.