Title: Vanlier v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
SHAWN VANLIER, 
 
Defendant Below, 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below, 
Appellee. 
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No. 151, 2004 
 
 
 
Court Below:  Superior Court 
of the State of Delaware, 
in and for New Castle County 
Cr. ID No. 9809006423
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: May 18, 2004 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
June 8, 2004 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, and JACOBS, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 8th day of June 2004, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The appellant Shawn VanLier filed this appeal from an order of the 
Superior Court, which denied, in part, VanLier’s motion for postconviction relief and 
ordered expansion of the record with respect to some of VanLier’s postconviction claims. 
 The Assistant Clerk issued a notice to VanLier to show cause why his appeal should not 
be dismissed given this Court’s lack of jurisdiction to entertain a criminal interlocutory 
appeal.  
 
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(2) 
VanLier filed a response to the notice to show cause.  In his response, 
VanLier argues the merits of his appeal.  He does not address, however, the issue of 
this Court’s lack of jurisdiction to entertain a criminal interlocutory appeal.   
(3) 
The Superior Court’s order is clearly an interlocutory ruling in this 
criminal matter.1  Under the Delaware Constitution, this Court may review only a final 
judgment in a criminal case.2  As a result, this Court does not have jurisdiction to 
review the Superior Court’s interlocutory ruling in this case.3    
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 29(b), 
that this appeal is DISMISSED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Myron T. Steele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Justice 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
1See Robinson v. State, 704 A.2d 269, 271 (Del. 1998). 
2DEL. CONST. ART. IV, § 11(1)(b).   
3See Gottlieb v. State, 697 A.2d 400 (Del. 1997); Rash v. State, 318 A.2d 603 (Del. 1974).