Title: Proctor v. Justice of the Peace Court 17 and Davis

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
RONALD E. PROCTOR,
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§
Plaintiff Below,
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No. 353, 2001
Appellant,
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Court Below- Justice of the
v.
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Peace Court of the State of
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Delaware, in and for Sussex
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE 
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County in Court No. 17
COURT #17 and EDWARD G. 
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DAVIS,
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Defendants Below,
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Appellees.
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Submitted: September 10, 2001
Decided:
September 13, 2001
Amended:
September 27, 2001
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, BERGER and STEELE Justices.
A M E N D E D   O R D E R
This 27th day of September 2001, upon consideration of the motion to
dismiss filed by the State of Delaware, and the appellant’s response to the
motion to dismiss, it appears to the Court that:
(1)
The appellant, Ronald E. Proctor, is incarcerated at the Sussex
Correctional Institution (“SCI”).  Proctor has filed a notice of appeal from an
order of the Justice of the Peace Court that dismisses, without prejudice,
Proctor’s replevin action brought against a staff person at SCI as well as an
2
inmate, who was previously housed at SCI.1  The Justice of the Peace Court
found that Proctor’s complaint failed to state a cause of action.  The Justice of
the Peace Court also questioned whether or not it had “jurisdiction over property
taken from a prisoner of the state penal system.”2
(2)
This Court lacks jurisdiction to consider an appeal directly from the
Justice of the Peace Court.3  Proctor’s appeal fails to invoke the jurisdiction of
this Court.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that Proctor’s appeal is
DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction.
BY THE COURT:
/s/ Myron T. Steele_________________
Justice
                                          
1 The Court provided that Proctor would “re-file” the complaint.
2 But see Hamilton v. Redman, et al., Del. Super., C.A. Nos. 86C-SE-38; 86M-SE-1,
Gebelein, J., 1998 WL 39990 (April 19, 1988) (“ ‘[T]he Constitution protects a prisoner from
arbitrary seizure of or interference with items of personal property by state officials acting
under color of state law’ ”) (quoting Thornton v. Redman, D.Del.,435 F.Supp. 876, 880
(1977); cf. Taylor v. Snyder, et al., Del. Supr., No. 15, 1999, Veasey, C.J., 1999 WL 486627
(May 4, 1999) (ORDER) (ruling on the merit of an appeal of a prisoner’s replevin action that
was brought in the Justice of the Peace Court); cf. Scott v. Walsh, Del. Super., C.A. No. 95C-
06-067, Quillen, J., 1996 WL 946033 (April 19, 1996).
3 Del. Const. Art. IV, § 11; 10 Del. C. § 9571(a).