Title: Johnson v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 226, 2019
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: July 17, 2019

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
ROGER L. JOHNSON, 
 
Defendant Below, 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below, 
Appellee. 
§ 
§   
§  No. 226, 2019 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§   
§  Cr. ID No. 9908000065 (K) 
§   
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: June 5, 2019 
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
July 17, 2019 
 
Before STRINE, Chief Justice; VALIHURA and VAUGHN, Justices. 
 
ORDER 
 
Having considered the notice to show cause and the response, it appears to the 
Court that: 
(1) 
On May 24, 2019, the appellant, Roger L. Johnson, filed a notice of 
appeal from a Superior Court order, dated April 5, 2019, denying his motion to 
recuse the bench.  The Senior Court Clerk issued a notice directing Johnson to show 
cause why this appeal should not be dismissed for this Court’s lack of jurisdiction to 
consider a criminal interlocutory appeal and for untimeliness.  In his response to the 
notice to show cause, Johnson argues that the Superior Court order is final. 
2 
 
(2) 
This Court may only review a final judgment in a criminal case.1  An 
order denying a motion for recusal is not a final order.2  This appeal is also untimely 
because it was filed more than thirty days after the entry of the order upon the 
docket.3  The appeal must be dismissed.   
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, under Supreme Court Rule 29(b), 
that this appeal is DISMISSED.   
BY THE COURT: 
/s/ Karen L. Valihura 
Justice  
                                                 
1 Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(1)(b).  See also Gottlieb v. State, 697 A.2d 400, 401 (Del. 1997) (holding 
this Court lacks jurisdiction to review interlocutory orders in criminal cases). 
2 See, e.g., Shelley v. State, 2018 WL 6331623, at *1 (Del. Dec. 3, 2018) (dismissing appeal from 
denial of motion to recuse as interlocutory); Desmond v. State, 2010 WL 3673039, at *1 (Del. 
Sept. 21, 2010) (“The denial of a motion for recusal of a judge is not a final, appealable order.”). 
3 Supr. Ct. R. 6 (a)(iv) (providing that appeal of postconviction order must be filed within thirty 
days of entry of the order upon the docket).