Title: Cannon v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 412, 2002
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: December 18, 2002

1In addition to the June 28, 2002 order, Cannon also attached to his notice of appeal
a copy of the Superior Court’s June 27, 2002 order denying his request to reinstate good time
credits he claimed were improperly taken away from him.
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
ALTON CANNON,
Defendant Below-
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF DELAWARE,
Plaintiff Below-
Appellee.
§
§
§  No. 412, 2002
§
§
§  Court Below—Superior Court
§  of the State of Delaware,
§  in and for New Castle County
§  C.A. Nos. 02M-05-092 
§                  02M-06-071
§
Submitted: October 25, 2002
Decided:   December 18, 2002
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and STEELE, Justices
O R D E R
This 18th day of December 2002, upon consideration of the briefs on
appeal and the record below, it appears to the Court that:
(1)
The defendant-appellant, Alton Cannon, filed an appeal from the
Superior Court’s June 28, 2002 order denying his petition for a writ of habeas
corpus.1  We find no merit to the appeal.  Accordingly, we AFFIRM.
(2)
In September 1997, Cannon was indicted on charges of Unlawful
Sexual Intercourse in the First Degree, Kidnaping in the First Degree and
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Assault.  In September 1998, Cannon pleaded guilty to Assault in the Second
Degree and Unlawful Sexual Contact in the First Degree.  The State dismissed
the remaining charges.  In December 1998, Cannon  was sentenced to a total of
10 years incarceration at Level V, to be suspended after 5 years for 3 years at
Level IV Halfway House, to be suspended for 1 year at Level IV Halfway
House and decreasing levels of probation.  
(3)
In April 2001, an administrative warrant was issued, alleging that
Cannon was disorderly upon his arrival at the Level IV VOP Center and that
he kicked a door in his housing area.  A violation of probation (“VOP”) hearing
was held on April 17, 2002 and Cannon was found to have committed a VOP.
His probation in connection with his assault conviction was revoked and his
remaining sentence of 3 years incarceration at Level V was reimposed.  Cannon
did not appeal the finding of a VOP or the VOP sentence.
(4)
In this appeal, Cannon claims that the kicking of the door was a
“minor infraction” that should have been addressed by the Department of
Correction rather than by the Superior Court at a VOP hearing.  Cannon also
claims that the Superior Court improperly deprived him of an early release,
since he lost his accrued good time credits as a result of the finding of a VOP.
Cannon, finally, claims that he should not have been at the VOP Center at all,
2This statement of Cannon’s claims fairly summarizes the eight separate claims he
lists in his opening brief.
3Hall v. Carr, 692 A.2d 888, 891 (Del. 1997).
4Id.
5Id. (quoting DEL. CODE ANN. tit. 10, § 6902(1)).
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since his sentence contemplated his release from Level V confinement to a
“Level IV-Halfway House.”2  
(5)
In Delaware, the writ of habeas corpus provides relief on a very
limited basis.3  Habeas corpus only provides “an opportunity for one illegally
confined or incarcerated to obtain judicial review of the jurisdiction of the court
ordering the commitment.”4  “Habeas corpus relief is not available to ‘[p]ersons
committed or detained on a charge of treason or felony, the species whereof is
plainly and fully set forth in the commitment.’”5       
(6)
Cannon is not entitled to habeas corpus relief because he has failed
to show that the Superior Court did not have jurisdiction in December 1998 to
impose his sentence for assault or in April 2002 to reimpose the suspended
portion of his sentence for assault upon a finding of a VOP.  Cannon did not
file a direct appeal from the finding of a VOP or the VOP sentence.  The
6In re Barbee, 693 A.2d 317, 319 (Del. 1997).
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extraordinary writ procedure may not be used as a substitute for a direct
appeal.6 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the
Superior Court is AFFIRMED.
BY THE COURT:
/s/ E. NormanVeasey
Chief Justice