Title: DuCoin v. State

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

1 
 
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
EDWARD A. DUCOIN, 
§ 
 
 
§ 
No. 644, 2013 
Defendant Below, 
§ 
 
Appellant, 
§ 
Court Below: Superior Court 
 
§ 
of the State of Delaware, in 
v. 
§ 
and for New Castle County 
 
§ 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
§ 
I.D. 1011002958 
 
§ 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
§ 
Appellee. 
§ 
 
 
Submitted: May 14, 2014 
Decided: May 14, 2014 
 
 
Before STRINE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 14th day of May 2014, upon consideration of the briefs of the parties and the 
record in this case, it appears to the Court that: 
Edward A. DuCoin appeals from the Superior Court’s denial of his motion to 
withdraw his guilty plea.   The Superior Court’s decision whether to grant a motion to 
withdraw a guilty plea is subject to review for abuse of discretion.1   On appeal, DuCoin 
has raised serious factual allegations regarding whether the counsel who represented him 
when he pled guilty provided him with effective assistance of counsel.  But, this Court 
cannot consider those factual arguments on a clean slate.  Rather, we must defer to the 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 Scarborough v. State, 938 A.2d 644, 649 (2007); Patterson v. State, 684 A.2d 1234, 1237 (Del. 
1996). 
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Superior Court’s factual determinations if they are adequately grounded in the record.2  In 
deciding to deny the appellant’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea, the Superior Court 
issued a detailed written opinion that applied the correct legal standard and made factual 
determinations that are supported by sufficient evidence.3    Thus, we conclude that the 
Superior Court did not abuse its discretion. 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior Court is 
 
AFFIRMED. 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
/s/ Leo E. Strine, Jr. 
Chief Justice 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2 Jones v. State, 81 A.3d 1248, 1251 (Del. 2013) (citing Levitt v. Bouvier, 287 A.2d 671, 673 
(Del. 1972)). 
3 State v. DuCoin, 2013 WL 5801735, at *3 (Del. Super. Oct. 10, 2013).