Title: In the Matter of the Petition of Craig Anthony Brown for a Writ of Mandamus

State: delaware

Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE 
PETITION OF CRAIG ANTHONY 
BROWN FOR A WRIT OF 
MANDAMUS 
§ 
§  No. 146, 2024 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: April 29, 2024 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
June 27, 2024 
 
Before VALIHURA, TRAYNOR, and LEGROW, Justices. 
 
ORDER 
 
After consideration of the petition for a writ of mandamus and the State’s 
answer and motion to dismiss, it appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
The petitioner, Craig Anthony Brown, seeks to invoke the original 
jurisdiction of this Court, under Supreme Court Rule 43, to issue a writ of mandamus 
directing the Court of Chancery, which denied Brown’s motion to proceed in forma 
pauperis in that court, to accept and docket his pleadings without prepayment of the 
required filing fee.  After careful review, we conclude that Brown’s petition 
manifestly fails to invoke this Court’s original jurisdiction and must therefore be 
dismissed. 
(2) 
A writ of mandamus will issue to a trial court only if the petitioner can 
show: (i) a clear right to the performance of a duty; (ii) that no other adequate remedy 
is available; and (iii) that the trial court has arbitrarily failed or refused to perform 
2 
 
its duty.1  “[I]n the absence of a clear showing of an arbitrary refusal or failure to 
act, this Court will not issue a writ of mandamus to compel a trial court to perform 
a particular judicial function, to decide a matter in a particular way, or to dictate the 
control of its docket.”2 
(3) 
There is no basis for the issuance of a writ of mandamus here.  Whether 
to grant informa pauperis status to a party is a matter left to the sound discretion of 
the trial court, and “mandamus will not lie to challenge the performance of a 
discretionary act.”3 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the State’s motion to 
dismiss be GRANTED.  The petition for a writ of mandamus is DISMISSED. 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Gary F. Traynor 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
 
 
1 In re Bordley, 545 A.2d 619, 620 (Del. 1988). 
2 Id. 
3 In re Baker, 2009 WL 1525928, at *1 (Del. June 2, 2009) (dismissing a petition for a writ of 
mandamus under similar circumstances).