Case Title: Seawright v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 414, 2003

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2003-10-14T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
DARREN L. SEAWRIGHT, 
 
Petitioner Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Respondent Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§ 
§  No. 414, 2003 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for Kent County 
§  C.A. No. 03M-08-008  
§   
§ 
 
Submitted: September 5, 2003 
  Decided: October 14, 2003 
 
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, and STEELE, Justices. 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 14th day of October 2003, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
opening brief, the State’s motion to affirm, and the record below, it appears 
to the Court that: 
(1) 
The appellant, Darren Seawright, filed this appeal from the 
Superior Court’s order denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus.  
Seawright sought habeas corpus relief on the ground that the Department of 
Correction was illegally detaining him at the VOP Center rather than placing 
him at a halfway house, in accordance with the Superior Court’s sentencing 
order dated October 28, 1999.  The State has moved to affirm the Superior 
 
 
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Court’s judgment on the ground that it is manifest on the face of Seawright’s 
opening brief that the appeal is without merit.  We agree and affirm.   
(2) 
The Court has reviewed the parties’ respective positions 
carefully.  We find it manifest that the judgment of the Superior Court 
should be affirmed on the basis of the Superior Court’s well-reasoned 
decision dated August 13, 2003.   
(3) 
In Delaware, the writ of habeas corpus provides relief on a very 
limited basis.1  Pursuant to Section 6902 of Title 10 of the Delaware Code, 
habeas corpus relief is not available to a petitioner who is “committed or 
detained on a charge of treason or felony, the species whereof is plainly and 
fully set forth in the commitment.”2  The Superior Court convicted 
Seawright of several felony and misdemeanor charges and sentenced him on 
October 28, 1999 to a term of incarceration followed by decreasing levels of 
supervision.  This Court affirmed Seawright’s convictions and sentences on 
direct appeal.3  Seawright’s commitment was valid on its face, and he 
continues to be held pursuant to that valid commitment.  Seawright’s 
transfer to the VOP Center pending space availability at a halfway house 
                                                 
1 Hall v. Carr, 692 A.2d 88, 891 (Del. 1997). 
2 DEL. CODE. ANN. tit. 10, § 6902 (1999). 
3 Seawright v. State, Del. Supr., No. 522, 1999, Berger, J. (May 16, 2001). 
 
 
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does not render his commitment invalid.    Accordingly, we find no merit to 
Seawright’s contentions on appeal. 
  
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the 
Superior Court is AFFIRMED.   
BY THE COURT: 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland 
Justice