Title: Caldwell v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 257, 2003
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: August 27, 2003

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
COREY CALDWELL,
Defendant Below-
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF DELAWARE,
Plaintiff Below-
Appellee.
§
§
§  No. 257, 2003
§
§
§  Court Below—Superior Court
§  of the State of Delaware,
§  in and for Kent County
§  Cr.A. No. IK01-10-0501
§
§
Submitted: July 9, 2003
  Decided:   August 27, 2003
Before HOLLAND, BERGER and JACOBS, Justices
O R D E R
This 27th day of August 2003, upon consideration of the appellant’s
opening brief and the appellee’s motion to affirm pursuant to Supreme Court
Rule 25(a), it appears to the Court that:
(1)
The defendant-appellant, Corey Caldwell, filed an appeal from the
Superior Court’s April 23, 2003 order denying his motion for credit for time
served.  The State of Delaware has moved to affirm the Superior Court’s
1SUPR. CT. R. 25(a).
2Caldwell v. State, 770 A.2d 522 (2001).  This Court concluded that the prosecution’s
use of an out-of-court statement by a non-testifying witness was improper.  
-2-
judgment on the ground that it is manifest on the face of Caldwell’s opening
brief that the appeal is without merit.1  We agree and AFFIRM.
(2)
On December 10, 1998, Caldwell was found guilty by a Superior
Court jury of Possession With Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Possession of Drug
Paraphernalia and Resisting Arrest.  On appeal, this Court reversed Caldwell’s
convictions and remanded the case for a new trial. 2  The State did not retry
Caldwell on those charges.  
(3)
In October 2001, Caldwell was arrested on six new charges,
including Trafficking in Cocaine.  On September 17, 2002, the day of trial,
Caldwell pleaded guilty to a single count of Possession with Intent to Deliver
Cocaine.  He was sentenced to 10 years incarceration at Level V, to be
suspended after 8 years for 2 years Level III probation.  The State dismissed
the remaining charges.   
(4)
In this appeal, Caldwell claims that, because he served
approximately 29 months incarcerated at Level V before his 1998 convictions
were reversed, he should be given credit for that time on his 2002 sentence. 
3Gamble v. State, 728 A.2d 1171 (1999); Ricketts v. State, Del. Supr., No. 419, 2000,
Veasey, C.J. (Jan. 2, 2001).
4Stevenson v. State, Del. Supr., No. 304, 2001, Berger, J. (Sept. 17, 2002) (Superior
Court credited 2001 drug sentence with Level V time erroneously served by defendant for violation
of probation on 1991 robbery sentence that had already expired.) 
-3-
(5)
A defendant sentenced to Level V incarceration is entitled to have
his sentence credited with all Level V time previously served in connection with
that sentence.3  While the Superior Court may, in its discretion, credit Level V
time served on one sentence to another sentence,4 a defendant has no
entitlement to such credit.  Caldwell was not entitled to Level V credit on his
current sentence and we find no abuse of discretion on the part of the Superior
Court in denying Caldwell’s request for such credit. 
(6)
It is manifest on the face of Caldwell’s opening brief that this
appeal is without merit because the issues presented on appeal are controlled
by settled Delaware law and, to the extent that judicial discretion is implicated,
clearly there was no abuse of discretion.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Supreme
Court Rule 25(a), the State of Delaware’s motion to affirm is GRANTED.  The
judgment of the Superior Court is AFFIRMED.
BY THE COURT:
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/s/ Carolyn Berger
Justice