Case Title: Jones v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 442, 2005

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2005-11-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
MICHAEL A. JONES, 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§ 
§  No. 442, 2005 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for Kent County 
§  Cr.A. No. IK04-07-0804 
§  Cr. ID 0407010529 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: September 27, 2005 
 
 
 
 
  Decided: November 28, 2005 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, JACOBS, and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 28th day of November 2005, 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 defendant-appellant, Michael Jones, filed this appeal from the 
Superior Court’s denial of his third motion seeking modification of his sentence.  
The State of Delaware has filed a motion to affirm the judgment of the Superior 
Court on the ground that it is manifest on the face of Jones’ opening brief that his 
appeal is without merit.  We agree and affirm. 
(2) 
The record reflects that Jones pled guilty in November 2004 to one 
count of trafficking in cocaine.  In exchange for his guilty plea, the State dismissed 
 
2
the remaining charges against Jones.  The Superior Court immediately sentenced 
Jones to fifteen years at Level V imprisonment, suspended after serving two years, 
followed by two years at decreasing levels of supervision.  The Superior Court also 
imposed a $50,000 fine but suspended payment of all but $500 of the fine.  At the 
time of sentencing the Superior Court did not speak about the statutory surcharges 
required by law.  These surcharges were included in the written sentence order. 
(3) 
In his latest motion for modification of sentence, Jones argued that the 
sentencing order, which imposed a financial obligation of $17,191, did not 
accurately reflect the fine imposed upon him at his sentencing hearing.  Jones 
contends that this constitutes an illegal enhancement of his sentence.   
(4) 
The State, on the other hand, contends that the $17,191 financial 
obligation reflected in the Superior Court’s sentencing order is not a fine.  
According to the State, the financial obligations reflect statutory assessments for 
the Victim Compensation Fund1 and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Fund, 2 as 
well as a surcharge for the Videophone Fund.3  These assessments are required by 
law and cannot be suspended.  Therefore, the sentence imposed by the Superior 
Court is not illegal and cannot be modified to suspend the statutory surcharges. 
                                                 
1 11 Del. C. § 9012(a) (2001). 
2 16 Del. C. § 4802A(a) (2003). 
3 11 Del. C. § 4101(d) (Supp. 2004). 
 
3
(5) 
Having carefully considered the parties= respective positions, we find 
it manifest on the face of Jones’ opening brief that the appeal is without merit.  
Contrary to Jones’ argument, the Superior Court’s sentencing order accurately 
reflects the $500 fine imposed upon him at sentencing.  The statutory assessments 
he now challenges are additional to the $500 criminal fine imposed.  It is clear that 
Jones is not entitled to a modification or correction of his sentence because the 
assessments are mandated by statute and are not entitled to suspension.   
(6) 
Although the imposition of statutory surcharges was not announced at 
the time of sentencing by the sentencing judge, they are mandatory and the written 
sentence order served as a correction of sentence pursuant to Superior Court 
Criminal Rule 35(a).  The Superior Court did not abuse its discretion when it 
denied Jones’ motion for modification of sentence.  The issue of whether he is 
entitled under all of the circumstances to have his plea set aside under Rule 61 is 
not before us.   
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior 
Court is AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/Henry duPont Ridgely 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice