Case Title: Matter of Morales

Citation: 

Docket Number: 18, 2001

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2001-03-16T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE 
PETITION OF JUSTO L. 
MORALES FOR A WRIT OF 
MANDAMUS. 
 
  No. 18, 2001 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: March 12, 2001 
 
 
 
 
  Decided: March 16, 2001 
 
Before WALSH, HOLLAND and BERGER, Justices. 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
 
 
This 16th day of March 2001, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
On January 8, 2001, Justo L. Morales filed a petition for a writ 
of mandamus seeking to compel the Superior Court to rule on Morales’ 
motion for postconviction relief that was filed in April 1999.  On January 
29, 2001, the State filed an answer and motion to dismiss the petition. 
 
(2) 
By letter dated February 5, 2001, the Clerk of this Court asked 
the Superior Court to clarify the status of the Superior Court record with 
respect to Morales’ motion for postconviction relief.  In its February 14 
letter response to the Clerk, the Superior Court reported that it had, in 
hindsight, mistakenly interpreted a letter Morales submitted to the court in 
August 1999 as a request to withdraw the postconviction motion.  The 
 
2 
Superior Court indicated that it intended to decide Morales’ motion for 
postconviction relief within 20 days. 
 
(3) 
On March 12, 2001, the Superior Court filed a copy of its order 
of March 8, 2001, denying Morales’ motion for postconviction relief.  The 
Superior Court’s March 8 decision renders moot Morales’ petition for a writ 
of mandamus in this Court. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that Morales’ petition for a 
writ of mandamus is DISMISSED as moot. 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland 
 
 
 
 
Justice