Title: Graves v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
MICHAEL GRAVES, 
 
Defendant Below, 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Appellee. 
§ 
§   
§  No. 437, 2023 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§ 
§  Cr. ID No. 2107007973 (N) 
§   
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: January 10, 2024 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
February 14, 2024 
 
Before SEITZ, Chief Justice; LEGROW and GRIFFITHS, Justices.  
 
ORDER 
 
After consideration of the notice to show cause and the responses, it appears 
to the Court that: 
(1) 
On November 27, 2023, the appellant, Michael Graves, filed a notice 
of appeal from a September 22, 2023 Superior Court order sentencing him after he 
pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission 
of a felony, and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.  Under Supreme Court Rule 
6(a)(iii), a timely notice of appeal should have been filed by October 23, 2023.1   
 
1 Because the last day of the thirty-day appeal period fell on a Sunday, the time to appeal extended 
until Monday, October 23rd.  Supr. Ct. R. 11(a). 
2 
 
(2) 
The Senior Court Clerk issued a notice directing Graves to show cause 
why this appeal should not be dismissed as untimely filed.  In his response to the 
notice to show cause, Graves argues that his appointed counsel (“Counsel”) did not 
advise him of his appeal rights, including the thirty-day appeal deadline, and that he 
unsuccessfully attempted to contact Counsel.  
(3) 
At the Court’s request, Counsel responded to Graves’s response to the 
notice to show cause.  Counsel states that he did not advise Graves that he could 
appeal or that he had to do so within thirty days because Graves was advised in 
accordance with the Truth-in-Sentencing Guilty Plea Form that by pleading guilty 
he was waiving certain rights, including the right to appeal.  The Truth-in-Sentencing 
Guilty Plea Form reflects that the box next to the question “Do you understand that 
because you are pleading guilty you will not have a trial, and therefore you waive 
(give up) your constitutional rights…to appeal, if convicted, to the Delaware 
Supreme Court with the assistance of a lawyer?” is marked “Yes.”2   
(4) 
The State was asked to respond to the position of Counsel.  The State 
recognizes that Graves has failed to show his untimely appeal is attributable to court-
related personnel,3 but notes that in similar circumstances the Court has remanded 
for resentencing so that the defendant may file a timely appeal and suggests that the 
 
2 Exhibit A to Counsel’s January 3, 2024 Letter to the Court. 
3 Defense counsel is not court-related personnel.  Young v. State, 2018 WL 6118713, at *1 (Del. 
Nov. 20, 2018). 
3 
 
Court do so here.4  We agree with the State that the proper course of action is to 
remand this matter to the Superior Court with directions to resentence Graves so that 
he has the opportunity to file a timely appeal.    
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, that this matter is REMANDED to 
the Superior Court for further action in accordance with this order.  Jurisdiction is 
not retained.    
BY THE COURT: 
/s/ N. Christopher Griffiths 
Justice 
 
 
4 See, e.g., Amaro v. State, 2013 WL 1087644, at *1 (Del. Mar. 13, 2013) (remanding for  
resentencing as suggested by the State where it was unclear if the defendant had instructed his 
counsel to file an appeal after he pleaded guilty); Proctor v. State, 2001 WL 823745, at *1 (Del. 
July 18, 2001) (remanding for the Superior Court to consider resentencing defendant who pleaded 
guilty so he could file timely appeal).