Title: Jefferson v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 599, 2009
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: November 30, 2009

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
VINCENT JEFFERSON, 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§ 
§  No. 599, 2009 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  Cr. ID 0811013286 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: October 29, 2009 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: November 30, 2009 
 
Before BERGER, JACOBS, and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 30th day of November 2009, it appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
On October 13, 2009, the Court received Vincent Jefferson’s 
notice of appeal following his Superior Court criminal jury trial, which took 
place on July 14, 2009.  Because Jefferson was not scheduled to be 
sentenced until November 6, 2009, the Clerk of the Court issued a notice to 
Jefferson to show cause why his appeal should not be dismissed as 
interlocutory.1 
                                                 
1 Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(1)(b) (limiting the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in 
criminal appeals to final orders of the Superior Court);  Robinson v. State, 704 A.2d 269, 
271 (Del. 1998) (holding that a criminal ruling is not final until sentence is imposed). 
 
 
-2- 
(2) 
Jefferson filed a response to the notice to show cause on 
October 22, 2009.  His response did not address the interlocutory nature of 
the appeal.  Thereafter, the State filed a response to the notice to show cause 
asking that Jefferson’s appeal be dismissed for failing to invoke the appellate 
jurisdiction of the Court.   
(3) 
Under the circumstances, it is clear that the Court lacked 
jurisdiction to hear Jefferson’s appeal prior to his sentencing.  It is 
incumbent upon Jefferson’s trial counsel to properly file a new notice of 
appeal from the Superior Court’s sentencing order in this matter.   
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule 29(b), that the within appeal is DISMISSED. 
BY THE COURT: 
/s/ Jack B. Jacobs 
        Justice