Title: Major v. Carroll

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
SAMUEL MAJOR, 
 
Petitioner Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
WARDEN THOMAS CARROLL, 
 
Respondent Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§ 
§  No. 526, 2002 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for Sussex County 
§  C.A. No. 02M-08-008 
§ 
§ 
 
Submitted:  April 4, 2003 
Decided:  June 17, 2003 
 
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, BERGER and STEELE, Justices 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 17th day of June 2003, upon consideration of the briefs on appeal and 
the record below, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The petitioner-appellant, Samuel Major, filed an appeal from the 
Superior Court’s August 19, 2002 order denying his motion to proceed in forma 
pauperis (“IFP”) and dismissing his petition for a writ of mandamus.  We find no 
merit to the appeal.  Accordingly, we AFFIRM.   
 
(2) 
In November 1993, Major was found guilty by a Superior Court jury 
of Murder in the Second Degree and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the 
Commission of a Felony.  He was sentenced to 20 years incarceration at Level V, 
 
2
to be suspended after 15 years for probation.  This Court affirmed Major’s 
convictions and sentences on direct appeal. 1 
 
(3) 
In August 2002, Major filed a motion to proceed IFP and a petition for 
a writ of mandamus challenging the calculation of his good time credits by prison 
officials.  The Superior Court denied the motion2 and dismissed the petition. 3   
 
(4) 
We find no abuse of discretion on the part of the Superior Court, since 
it afforded Major an opportunity to re-file his IFP motion and his petition for a writ 
of mandamus once the deficiencies in the pleadings are cured. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior 
Court is AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Myron T. Steele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
 
                                                                 
1Major v. State, Del. Supr., No. 26, 1994, Walsh, J. (Apr. 20, 1995). 
2DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 10, § 8804(f). 
3DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 10, § 8804(g); In re Bordley, 545 A.2d 619, 620 (Del. 1988).