Michael Berry v. VDOC

USCA4 Appeal: 24-6390 Doc: 17 Filed: 01/09/2026 Pg: 1 of 2 UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 24-6390 MICHAEL ALLEN BERRY, Petitioner - Appellant, v. VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; VIRGINIA PAROLE BOARD, Respondents - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Claude M. Hilton, Senior District Judge. (1:22-cv-01302-CMH-WEF) Submitted: August 26, 2025 Decided: January 9, 2026 Before WILKINSON, BENJAMIN, and BERNER, Circuit Judges. Dismissed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Michael Allen Berry, Appellant Pro Se. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. USCA4 Appeal: 24-6390 Doc: 17 Filed: 01/09/2026 Pg: 2 of 2 PER CURIAM: Michael Allen Berry seeks to appeal the district court’s order denying relief on his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition. Berry contended that he was entitled to immediate release from the Virginia Department of Corrections based on alleged due process violations related to his parole eligibility. During the pendency of this appeal, Berry was released from incarceration. Accordingly, we deny his motion for appointment of counsel, and we dismiss the appeal as moot. See Fleet Feet, Inc. v. NIKE, Inc., 986 F.3d 458, 463 (4th Cir. 2021) (“If an event occurs during the pendency of an appeal that makes it impossible for a court to grant effective relief to a prevailing party, then the appeal must be dismissed as moot.” (citation modified)). 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. DISMISSED 2