Case Title: Coverdale v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 156, 2023

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2023-08-15T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
BRIAN L. COVERDALE, 
 
Defendant Below, 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 156, 2023 
§ 
§  Court Below–Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§   
§  Cr. ID Nos. 2006004121 (N) 
§                      2003011608 (N) 
§   
§                       
 
Submitted: June 29, 2023 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
August 15, 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
Before VALIHURA, TRAYNOR, and LEGROW, Justices. 
 
ORDER 
 
After consideration of the appellant’s opening brief, the State’s motion to 
affirm, and the record on appeal, we conclude that the Superior Court’s judgment 
should be affirmed.  On July 15, 2021, the appellant, Brian Coverdale, pleaded guilty 
to manslaughter, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, driving 
under the influence of drugs, and speeding.  On October 29, 2021, the Superior Court 
sentenced Coverdale to an aggregate of twelve years of incarceration followed by 
decreasing levels of supervision.  Coverdale did not appeal his convictions or 
sentence and, accordingly, his convictions became final thirty days thereafter.1  On 
March 24, 2023—more than one year and three months after his convictions became 
 
1 Del. Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(m)(1). 
2 
 
final—Coverdale filed his first motion for postconviction relief, raising claims of 
ineffective assistance of counsel.  The Superior Court did not abuse its discretion by 
denying Coverdale’s motion for postconviction relief: the motion was procedurally 
barred as untimely filed2 and did not satisfy the pleading requirements of Superior 
Court Criminal Rule 61(i)(5).     
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the State’s motion to affirm be 
GRANTED and the judgment of the Superior Court be AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Gary F. Traynor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
 
2 Del. Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(i)(1) (providing in part that “[a] motion for postconviction relief may 
not be filed more than one year after the judgment of conviction is final”).