Title: Brown v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 620, 2009
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: December 8, 2009

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
ELWOOD N. BROWN,   
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 620, 2009 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below─Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  Cr. ID Nos. 0309008355 
§                      0805039373 
§ 
§ 
 
Submitted:  December 2, 2009 
Decided:  December 8, 2009 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and RIDGELY, Justices 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 8th day of December 2009, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
response to the notice to show cause, the appellant’s attorney’s reply, and 
the State’s reply, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
In July 2009, the defendant-appellant, Elwood N. Brown, was 
serving probationary sentences on convictions of Failure to Register as a Sex 
Offender and Robbery in the First Degree.  After being charged with several 
new felony offenses, Brown was found to have committed a violation of 
probation at a VOP hearing on September 23, 2009 and was immediately 
sentenced.  The record reflects that Brown was represented by court-
 
2 
appointed counsel at the VOP hearing.  Brown, acting pro se, filed an 
untimely notice of appeal on October 26, 2009.1     
 
(2) 
On October 27, 2009, the Clerk of the Court issued a notice to 
Brown to show cause why his appeal should not be dismissed as untimely 
filed.  Brown filed a response on November 6, 2009.  In the response, he 
states that he told his court-appointed counsel that he wanted to file an 
appeal of the VOP sentence, but, believing that his counsel was not going to 
do so, he attempted to file the appeal himself.  Brown further states that he 
attempted to mail his notice of appeal to the Court on October 21, 2009, but 
that the notice was returned to him by the prison mailroom and was re-sent 
two days later, resulting in the untimely filing.   
 
(3) 
On November 6, 2009, the Court directed Brown’s counsel to 
file a reply to Brown’s response to the notice to show cause.  In his reply 
filed on November 19, 2009, Brown’s counsel does not address the issue of 
whether Brown instructed him to file an appeal, but states only that he 
informed Brown “that he felt there was no basis for the appeal” and that 
Brown’s sentence actually provided him a benefit by shortening his 
sentences for his new felony convictions.  In its reply filed on December 2, 
2009, the State also does not address the issue of whether Brown instructed 
                                                 
1 Supr. Ct. R. 6(a)(ii); Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, §147. 
 
3 
his attorney to file an appeal but, instead, argues that Brown’s untimely pro 
se appeal must be dismissed. 
 
(4) 
After careful consideration of the submissions in this matter, we 
conclude that this matter must be remanded to the Superior Court.  Because 
the record is unclear with respect to the communication that took place 
between Brown and his counsel regarding the appeal from the VOP 
sentence, the Superior Court should take whatever action it deems necessary 
to determine the relevant facts and, if warranted, re-sentence Brown so that a 
timely notice of appeal may be filed.2   
 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that this matter is 
REMANDED to the Superior Court for further proceedings in accordance 
with this Order.  Jurisdiction is not retained. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Myron T. Steele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Justice 
        
                                                 
2 Harris v. State, Del. Supr., No. 451, 2006, Holland, J. (July 5, 2007).