Title: Davis v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 322, 2009
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: June 29, 2009

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
WILLIAM R. DAVIS,  
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
STATE OF DELAWARE, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 322, 2009 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below─Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§  in and for Sussex County 
§   
§ 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: June 16, 2009 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: June 29, 2009 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, JACOBS and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 29th day of June 2009, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
This is an appeal from a decision of the Superior Court dated 
May 5, 2009.  On June 3, 2009, the Clerk of the Court issued a notice to 
show cause to the appellant, William R. Davis, directing him to show cause 
why his appeal should not be dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.  Davis 
responded to the notice to show cause on June 16, 2009.  
 
(2) 
The record before us reflects that Davis wrote a “letter” to the 
Superior Court on April 29, 2009, which was date-stamped by the 
Prothonotary on May 4, 2009.  By letter dated May 5, 2009, the Superior 
Court judge informed Davis that his “letter” was being returned to him 
 
2 
because a search of the Superior Court docket revealed no active cases 
involving him.  This appeal followed.      
 
(3) 
In his April 29, 2009 “letter,” Davis purports to make a claim 
for damages as a result of personal injuries suffered in a 1989 altercation in 
the Justice of the Peace Court and a request for the appointment of counsel.  
While it appears that Davis intended his “letter” to initiate a new case in the 
Superior Court, the Superior Court judge misconstrued his “letter” as an 
attempt to file a document in an existing case.  Under these circumstances, 
we conclude that the notice to show cause must be discharged and this 
matter remanded to the Superior Court for docketing and processing of 
Davis’ “letter” in the ordinary course. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the Superior Court’s 
May 5, 2009 decision is VACATED and this matter is REMANDED to the 
Superior Court in accordance herewith.  Jurisdiction is not retained.1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Henry duPont Ridgely 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
   
 
                                                 
1Davis’ motion to append notice to show cause addendum, filed on June 24, 2009, is 
denied as moot.