Case Title: White v. State of Delaware, Delaware Violent Crimes Compensation Board

Citation: 

Docket Number: 237, 2006

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2007-02-20T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
ANTHONY WHITE, 
 
 
' 
 
 
 
 
' 
No.  237, 2006 
Appellant Below,  
 
' 
Appellant,  
 
 
' 
Court Below--Superior Court   
' 
of the State of Delaware, in 
v. 
 
 
 
 
' 
and for Sussex County   
' 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
' 
 
DELAWARE VIOLENT CRIMES 
' 
 
COMPENSATION BOARD, 
 
' 
 
 
' 
Appellee Below,  
 
' 
C.A. No.  06A-03-002 
Appellee. 
 
 
 
' 
 
Submitted: November 17, 2006 
Decided: 
February 20, 2007 
 
Before BERGER, JACOBS and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 20
th day of February 2007, upon consideration of the briefs of the parties 
and the Superior Court record, it appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
The appellant, Anthony White, was the victim of a random shooting in 
Delaware.  White filed several claims with the Violent Crimes Compensation Board to 
indemnify him for monetary losses that he incurred as a result of the shooting.
1 
                                                 
1See generally Del.  Code Ann.  tit.  11, ch.  90 (2001) (governing statutory process to 
compensate crime victims). 
 
 
2 
(2) 
White submitted his first claim in 2005.  The Violent Crimes 
Compensation Board (VCCB) granted White=s claim for documented medical 
expenses, but denied his claim for lost earnings (Athe 2005 award@). 
(3) 
 Dissatisfied with the amount of the 2005 award, White requested a 
hearing before the VCCB.
2  After the hearing, the VCCB issued a decision that 
affirmed the 2005 award but granted White an additional thirty days to submit 
documentation of his lost earnings.  When White did not submit the documentation, 
the VCCB issued a final decision affirming the 2005 award.
3 
(4) 
The VCCB reopened White=s case twice in 2006 to consider additional 
claims.
4  The VCCB issued awards to White on February 8 and 28, 2006 (Athe 2006 
awards@).  White did not request a hearing on either of the 2006 awards. 
                                                 
2Del.  Code Ann.  tit.  11, ' 9008(b). 
3Id. 
4Del.  Code Ann.  tit.  11, ' 9005(7). 
 
 
3 
(5) 
On March 10, 2006, White filed his notice of appeal in the Superior 
Court from the VCCB=s 2006 awards and the 2005 award as affirmed.  By order dated 
May 2, 2006, the Superior Court summarily dismissed White=s appeal.
5 
                                                 
5White v. Violent Crimes Comp. Bd., 2006 WL 1174190 (Del.  Super). 
(6) 
In this appeal, White argues that the Superior Court=s summary dismissal 
of his appeal was an abuse of the Court=s discretion.  White argues that the Superior 
Court should have allowed him to submit a brief arguing the merit of his underlying 
claims before the VCCB. 
 
 
4 
(7) 
After carefully considering the parties= positions, we have concluded that 
this appeal should be affirmed on the basis of the Superior Court=s well-reasoned 
decision dated May 2, 2006.  The record reflects that White did not exhaust his 
administrative remedies as to the 2006 awards
6 and failed to file his notice of appeal 
within thirty days of the decision affirming the 2005 award.
7  White=s failure to 
comply with the governing statutory requirements deprived the Superior Court of 
jurisdiction to consider the merit of White=s appeal.
8 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the judgment of the 
Superior Court is AFFIRMED. 
BY THE COURT: 
/s/ Jack B. Jacobs 
Justice 
                                                 
6Del.  Code Ann., tit.  11 ' 9008(a).  
7Del.  Code Ann., tit.  11 ' 9005(3). 
8Preston v.  Bd.  of Adjustment, 772 A.2d 787 (Del.  2001) (citing Riggs v.  Riggs, 539 A.2d 
163, 164 (Del.  1988); Fisher v.  Biggs, 284 A.2d 117, 118 (Del.  1971)).