Case Title: Carr v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 160, 2006

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2006-07-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
BRUCE J. CARR, 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 160, 2006 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below─Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  Cr. ID No. 82002234DI 
§ 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: May 10, 2006 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: July 10, 2006 
 
Before HOLLAND, BERGER and JACOBS, Justices 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 10th day of July 2006, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
opening brief and the appellee’s motion to affirm pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule 25(a), it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The defendant-appellant, Bruce J. Carr, filed an appeal from the 
Superior Court’s March 1, 2006 order denying his motion for postconviction 
relief pursuant to Superior Court Criminal Rule 35(a).1  The plaintiff-
appellee, the State of Delaware, has moved to affirm the Superior Court’s 
judgment on the ground that it is manifest on the face of Carr’s opening brief 
that the appeal is without merit.  We agree and AFFIRM. 
                                                 
1 The record reflects that this is Carr’s ninth postconviction motion.   
 
2
 
(2) 
In June 1982, Carr was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of 
four counts of Kidnapping in the First Degree, four counts of Conspiracy in 
the First Degree, one count of Rape in the First Degree, and two counts of 
Attempted Rape in the First Degree.  He was sentenced to six consecutive 
terms of life imprisonment plus 40 years.  Carr’s convictions and sentences 
were affirmed by this Court on direct appeal.2 
 
(3) 
In this appeal, Carr claims that the Superior Court erred as a 
matter of law by sentencing him to six consecutive life sentences rather than 
one life sentence.   
 
(4)  
Rule 35(a) permits the Superior Court to correct an illegal 
sentence “at any time.”  Relief under Rule 35(a) is available when the 
sentence imposed exceeds the statutorily authorized limits, violates double 
jeopardy, is ambiguous with respect to the time and manner in which it is to 
be served, is internally contradictory, omits a term required to be imposed by 
statute, is uncertain as to its substance, or is a sentence that the judgment of 
conviction did not authorize.3 
 
(5) 
At the time Carr was sentenced, Kidnapping in the First Degree 
and Rape in the First Degree were classified as Class A felonies, which 
                                                 
2 Carr v. State, Del. Supr., No. 322, 1982, Horsey, J. ( Nov. 9, 1983). 
3 Brittingham v. State, 705 A.2d 577, 578 (Del. 1998). 
 
3
required the imposition of life sentences.4  Attempted Rape in the First 
Degree was punishable by up to a life sentence.5  Moreover, all of Carr’s 
sentences were required by statute to be consecutive.6  Contrary to Carr’s 
arguments in his opening brief, neither the sentencing guidelines, which 
were not in effect at the time he was sentenced, nor Evans v. State, 872 A.2d 
539 (Del. 2005), which deals with whether an inmate who receives a 
parolable life sentence is eligible for conditional release, is relevant to his 
Rule 35(a) claim.  Carr has, thus, failed to demonstrate that his sentences are 
illegal and that he is entitled to relief under Rule 35(a).   
 
(6) 
It is manifest on the face of Carr’s opening brief that this appeal 
is without merit because the issues presented on appeal are controlled by 
settled Delaware law and, to the extent that judicial discretion is implicated, 
clearly there was no abuse of discretion. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Supreme 
Court Rule 25(a), the State of Delaware’s motion to affirm is GRANTED.  
The judgment of the Superior Court is AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Carolyn Berger 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
 
                                                 
4 Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, §§ 764,783A, and 4205(b) (1). 
5 Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, §§ 531 and 4205(b) (1). 
6 Del. Code Ann. tit. 11, § 3901(d).