Case Title: Matter of Irwin, a Disabled Person

Citation: 

Docket Number: 326, 2018

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2018-07-13T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
IN THE MATTER OF EMILY  
§  
IRWIN, a Disabled Person.1 
 
§ 
No. 326, 2018 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
Court Below:  Court of Chancery of     
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
the State of Delaware 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
CM 16855-N 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§   
 
 
Submitted: July 6, 2018 
Decided: 
July 13, 2018 
 
Before STRINE, Chief Justice; SEITZ and TRAYNOR, Justices. 
  
O R D E R 
 
(1) 
Ronald J. Schmidt filed a notice of appeal purporting to appeal the 
Court of Chancery’s alleged failure to issue a decision on a motion to dismiss filed 
by Schmidt on May 7, 2018, in a guardianship proceeding.2  The Clerk issued a 
notice directing Schmidt to show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed for 
failure to comply with Supreme Court Rule 42 when taking an appeal from an 
apparent interlocutory order.  In his response to the notice to show cause, Schmidt 
states that any defects in the notice of appeal are due to his inexperience as a pro se 
litigant. 
                                          
 
1 The Court has assigned a pseudonym under Supreme Court Rule 7(d). 
2 See Docket at 174, In re [Irwin], Del. Ch., CM 16855-N, Transaction ID 62000117 (May 7, 2018) 
(“letter submission with various exhibits submitted by Ronald Schmidt requesting that guardian 
be removed”).   
2 
 
 
(2) 
Schmidt’s appeal, on its face, manifestly fails to invoke the appellate 
jurisdiction of this Court and is subject to dismissal, sua sponte, under Supreme 
Court Rule 29(c).  The Court’s appellate jurisdiction in Court of Chancery cases is 
limited “interlocutory or final decrees” issued by the court.3  In this case, no decree, 
either interlocutory or final, was entered in the Court of Chancery, which would 
permit Schmidt to invoke the appellate jurisdiction of the Court.   
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that this appeal is DISMISSED 
under Supreme Court Rule 29(c).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Gary F. Traynor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice  
                                          
 
3 Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(4).