Title: Matter of Gillespie

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE  
 
§ 
PETITION OF JAMES GILLESPIE 
§   No. 349, 2003 
FOR A WRIT OF MANDAMUS 
§ 
 
Submitted: 
August 5, 2003 
  Decided: 
August 18, 2003 
 
Before HOLLAND, BERGER, and STEELE, Justices. 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 18th day of August 2003, upon consideration of James Gillespie=s 
petition for a writ of mandamus and the State=s answer and motion to dismiss, it 
appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
Gillespie filed a petition requesting this Court to issue an 
extraordinary writ of mandamus directed to the Superior Court.  Gillespie requests 
that the Superior Court be directed to modify his sentence.  The State has filed a 
motion to dismiss Gillespie’s petition on the ground that the Court lacks original 
jurisdiction to issue a writ in this case.  We agree. 
(2) 
To the extent Gillespie’s petition requests that the Superior Court be 
directed to rule on a motion for modification of sentence, which Gillespie filed on 
June 6, 2003, his request is moot. A review of the Superior Court’s docket in 
Gillespie’s case reveals that the Superior Court denied Gillespie’s motion for 
modification of sentence on July 21, 2003.  To the extent Gillespie seeks to have 
the Superior Court’s decision reversed, the extraordinary writ process is not 
 
 
-2-
available as a substitute for a timely-filed appeal from the Superior Court’s 
decision.1   
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that Gillespie’s petition for a writ 
of mandamus is DISMISSED. 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
/s/ Carolyn Berger 
Justice 
                                                                 
1 Matushefske v. Herlihy, 214 A.2d 883, 885 (Del. 1965).