Title: Machette v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
RICHARD D. MACHETTE, 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
No. 134, 2009 
 
Defendant Below,  
 
§ 
 
Appellant,  
 
 
§ 
Court Below—Superior Court  
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
of the State of Delaware in and 
 
v. 
 
 
 
 
§ 
for Kent County 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
 
Plaintiff Below, 
 
 
§ 
Cr. ID No. 0608007451 
 
Appellee. 
 
 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: May 11, 2009 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
August 10, 2009 
 
 
Before BERGER, JACOBS and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 10th day of August 2009, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
opening brief, the appellee’s motion to affirm and the Superior Court record, 
it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
In July 2007, a Superior Court jury convicted the appellant, 
Richard D. Machette, of Aggravated Menacing and Possession of a Deadly 
Weapon During the Commission of a Felony.  On October 10, 2007, the 
Superior Court declared Machette a habitual criminal and sentenced him to a 
total of thirty years of imprisonment followed by six months of probation. 
 
(2) 
On May 6, 2008, Machette moved pro se for postconviction 
relief.  Machette’s motion was referred to a Superior Court Commissioner 
for a report and recommendation.  By report and recommendation dated 
September 19, 2008, the Superior Court Commissioner recommended that 
Machette’s motion be denied. 
 
2
 
(3) 
By order dated March 2, 2009, the Superior Court denied 
Machette’s motion to amend his postconviction motion.  The Superior Court 
gave Machette until March 20, 2009, to file written objections to the 
Commissioner’s report.  Machette did not file objections to the 
Commissioner’s report.  Instead, he filed this appeal on March 16, 2009.1 
 
(4) 
It is well-settled that this Court does not have jurisdiction to 
hear an interlocutory appeal in a criminal case.2  Only a final order in a 
criminal case is reviewable by this Court.3 
 
 
(5) 
The Superior Court’s order of March 2, 2009 is not a final 
appealable order.  As a result, this Court does not have jurisdiction to 
consider Machette’s appeal. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the appeal is 
DISMISSED, sua sponte, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 29(c), for lack of 
jurisdiction.  The motion to affirm is moot. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jack B. Jacobs  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Justice 
                                          
 
1 In view of the appeal, the Superior Court, by order dated April 16, 2009, deferred 
decision on Machette’s postconviction motion until return of the record of the record and 
mandate to that Court. 
2 See Sanders v. State, 1998 WL 986027 (Del. Supr.) (citing State v. Cooley, 430 A.2d 
789 (Del. 1981)). 
3 See Sanders v. State, 1998 WL 986027 (Del. Supr.) (citing Rash v. State, 318 A.2d 603 
(Del. 1974)).