Title: Reese v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
MICHAEL REESE, 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 142, 2014 
§ 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  Cr. ID No. 1304010645 
§ 
§ 
 
Submitted: July 22, 2014 
Decided: 
August 15, 2014 
 
Before STRINE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 15th day of August 2014, upon consideration of the appellant’s Supreme 
Court Rule 26(c) brief, the State’s response, and the record below, it appears to the 
Court that:   
(1) 
On October 17, 2013, after a two day trial, a Superior Court jury 
found the appellant, Michael Reese, guilty of Criminal Trespass in the First Degree 
and Criminal Mischief.  The jury found Reese not guilty of three counts of 
Terroristic Threatening.  Reese was sentenced to one year of Level V 
imprisonment, suspended for one year of Level III probation for Criminal Trespass 
 
2
in the First Degree and ordered to pay a fine of $100 for Criminal Mischief.1  This 
is Reese’s direct appeal.   
(2) 
On appeal, Reese’s appellate counsel (“Counsel”) filed a brief and a 
motion to withdraw under Supreme Court Rule 26(c) (“Rule 26(c)”).2  Counsel 
asserts that, based upon a complete and careful examination of the record, there are 
no arguably appealable issues.  By letter, Counsel informed Reese of the 
provisions of Rule 26(c) and provided Reese with a copy of the motion to 
withdraw and the accompanying brief.  Counsel also informed Reese of his right to 
identify any points he wished this Court to consider on appeal.  Reese did not 
provide any points for this Court to consider.  The State has responded to the Rule 
26(c) brief and moved to affirm the Superior Court’s judgment. 
(3) 
When reviewing a motion to withdraw and an accompanying brief 
under Rule 26(c), this Court must: (i) be satisfied that defense counsel has made a 
conscientious examination of the record and the law for arguable claims; and (ii) 
must conduct its own review of the record and determine whether the appeal is so 
totally devoid of at least arguably appealable issues that it can be decided without 
an adversary presentation.3 
                                                 
1 Reese was also sentenced for additional offenses under a separate indictment.   
2 Reese was represented by different counsel at trial. 
3 Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 83 (1988); Leacock v. State, 690 A.2d 926, 927-28 (Del. 1996). 
 
3
(4) 
As an initial matter, we note that Reese’s conviction for Criminal 
Mischief is not subject to appellate review by this Court.  The Superior Court 
sentenced Reese to pay a $100 fine for this offense.  This Court’s constitutional 
jurisdiction is limited to hearing criminal appeals “in which the sentence shall be 
death, imprisonment exceeding one month, or fine exceeding One Hundred 
Dollars.”4  In cases of multiple convictions, each sentence must be evaluated 
individually in order to determine whether it meets the constitutional threshold.5  
Because the sentence for Criminal Mischief does not meet the jurisdiction 
requirement, the appeal as to that conviction must be dismissed without review. 
(5) 
This Court has reviewed the record carefully and has concluded that 
the remainder of Reese’s appeal is wholly without merit and devoid of any 
arguably appealable issue.  We also are satisfied that Reese’s counsel has made a 
conscientious effort to examine the record and the law and has properly determined 
that Reese could not raise a meritorious claim in this appeal.   
 
 
                                                 
4 Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(1)(b). 
5 Marker v. State, 450 A.2d 397, 399 (Del. 1982). 
 
4
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior  
Court is AFFIRMED, in part, and the appeal is DISMISSED, in part, as described 
herein.  The motion to withdraw is moot. 
BY THE COURT: 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice