Title: Foster v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
JOHN FOSTER,  
 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
No. 702, 2010 
 
Defendant Below,  
 
§ 
 
Appellant,  
 
 
§ 
Court Below—Superior Court  
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
of the State of Delaware in and 
 
v. 
 
 
 
 
§ 
for New Castle County 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
§ 
 
Plaintiff Below, 
 
 
§ 
Cr. ID No. 0703031898  
 
Appellee. 
 
 
 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: November 16, 2010 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
November 24, 2010 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and BERGER, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 24th day of November 2010, upon consideration of the 
appellant’s response to the notice to show cause, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
On November 3, 2010, the appellant, John Foster, filed a notice 
of appeal from a Superior Court Commissioner’s September 28, 2010 report 
recommending that Foster’s motion for postconviction relief should be 
denied.  On November 4, 2010, the Clerk issued a notice directing that 
Foster show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed pursuant to 
 
2
Supreme Court Rule 29(b) for this Court’s lack of jurisdiction to consider an 
appeal directly from a commissioner’s report and recommendation.1 
 
(2) 
In his response to the notice to show cause, Foster argues the 
merit of his claims for postconviction relief.  He does not, however, address 
the jurisdictional issue raised in the notice to show cause. 
 
(3) 
The Court’s appellate jurisdiction is limited to decisions issued 
by judges of a court.2  The Court does not have the authority to hear an 
appeal directly from a report and recommendation of a Superior Court 
Commissioner without intermediate review by a Superior Court judge.3 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule 29(b), that the appeal is DISMISSED.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice  
                                          
 
1 Johnson v. State, 884 A.2d 475, 479 (Del. 2005). 
2 Id.  
3 Id.  See also Cleveland v. State, 2009 WL 1579000 (Del. Supr.) (dismissing appeal from 
commissioner’s order as an “impermissible interlocutory appeal in a criminal case”); 
Wilmer v. State, 2009 WL 696400 (Del. Supr.) (dismissing appeal from commissioner’s 
report recommending that appellant’s motion for postconviction relief should be denied).