Title: Drummond v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 99, 2016
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: April 4, 2016

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
DALLAS H. DRUMMOND, JR., 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§ 
§  No. 99, 2016 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below—Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware, 
§   
§  Cr. ID Nos. 1004010489 and 
§  1001008949A 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: March 29, 2016 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: April 4, 2016 
 
Before HOLLAND, VALIHURA, and SEITZ, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 4th day of April 2016, it appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
On March 1, 2016, the Court received the appellant’s notice of 
appeal from a Superior Court sentencing order dated February 4, 2013.  The 
appellant’s notice of appeal is untimely by nearly three years. 
(2) 
The Clerk issued a notice under Supreme Court Rule 29(b), 
directing the appellant to show cause why the appeal should not be 
dismissed as untimely filed.1  The appellant filed an untimely response to the 
notice to show cause on March 29, 2016, arguing the merits of his appeal. 
                                                 
1Del. Supr. Ct. R. 6(a)(ii). 
 
 
-2- 
(3) 
Time is a jurisdictional requirement.2  A notice of appeal must 
be received by the Office of the Clerk of this Court within 30 days of 
sentencing in a direct criminal appeal in order for the notice to be effective.3  
An appellant’s pro se status does not excuse a failure to comply strictly with 
the jurisdictional requirements of Supreme Court Rule 6.4  Unless an 
appellant can demonstrate that the failure to file a timely notice of appeal is 
attributable to court-related personnel, an untimely appeal cannot be 
considered.5 
(4) 
This case does not fall within the exception to the general rule 
that mandates the timely filing of a notice of appeal.  Thus, the appeal must 
be dismissed. 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that this appeal is 
DISMISSED. 
BY THE COURT: 
 
/s/ Karen L. Valihura 
Justice 
                                                 
2Carr v. State, 554 A.2d 778, 779 (Del.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 829 (1989). 
3Del. Supr. Ct. R. 6(a)(iii), 10(a) (2016). 
4Smith v. State, 47 A.3d 481, 486-87 (Del. 2012). 
5Bey v. State, 402 A.2d 362, 363 (Del. 1979).