James Ivory Lawrence, Petitioner-appellant, v. John E. Brown, Warden Maryland Correctional Institution,respondent-appellee, 835 F.2d 874 (4th Cir. 1987)

A review of the record and the district court's opinion discloses that this appeal from its order refusing habeas corpus relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 is without merit. Lawrence's convictions had become final before the Supreme Court's decision in Batson v. Kentucky, 54 U.S.L.W. 4425 (U.S. Apr. 30, 1986) (No. 84-6263). Therefore, the more recent decision in Griffith v. Kentucky, 55 U.S.L.W. 4089 (U.S. Jan. 13, 1987) (No. 85-5221), does not constitute an intervening change of law which would warrant reconsideration of the claim he raised in his first federal habeas corpus petition. Sanders v. United States, 373 U.S. 1 (1963). Because the dispositive issues recently have been decided authoritatively, we dispense with oral argument and affirm the judgment below on the reasoning of the district court. Lawrence v. Brown, C/A No. 87-1008-JH (D. Md. May 8, 1987).

AFFIRMED.