In re: Robert Paul Sharpe

UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 25-1476
In re: ROBERT PAUL SHARPE,
Petitioner.
On Petition for Writ of Mandamus to the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, at Wilmington.
Submitted: June 3, 2025 Decided: August 26, 2025
Before KING and BENJAMIN, Circuit Judges, and KEENAN, Senior Circuit Judge.
Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Robert Paul Sharpe, Petitioner Pro Se.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.

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PER CURIAM:
Robert Paul Sharpe petitions for a writ of mandamus seeking an order vacating the
bankruptcy court’s order restricting public access to certain documents Sharpe filed in Port
City Contracting Services, Inc.’s bankruptcy case. We conclude that Sharpe 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). Moreover, mandamus may not be used as a substitute for appeal.
In re Lockheed Martin Corp., 503 F.3d 351, 353 (4th Cir. 2007).
We conclude that Sharpe has not made a sufficient showing to warrant the
extraordinary remedy of mandamus relief. Accordingly, although we grant leave to
proceed in forma pauperis, 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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