Title: Matter of Johnson
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 421, 2010
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: September 20, 2010

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE 
PETITION OF BILLY G. 
JOHNSON FOR A WRIT OF 
MANDAMUS 
§ 
§  No. 421, 2010 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: July 22, 2010 
 
 
 
 
  Decided: September 20, 2010 
 
Before HOLLAND, BERGER, and JACOBS, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 20th day of September 2010, upon consideration of the petition of 
Billy Johnson for an extraordinary writ of mandamus, it appears to the Court 
that:  
(1) 
The petitioner, Billy Johnson, seeks to invoke the original 
jurisdiction of this Court to issue a writ of mandamus to compel the Superior 
Court to provide him with copies of the original and amended grand jury 
indictments in his criminal case.  The State of Delaware has filed a response 
and motion to dismiss Johnson’s petition.  We find that Johnson’s petition 
manifestly fails to invoke the original jurisdiction of this Court.  
Accordingly, the petition must be DISMISSED. 
(2) 
This Court has authority to issue a writ of mandamus only when 
the petitioner can demonstrate a clear right to the performance of a duty, no 
other adequate remedy is available, and the trial court arbitrarily failed or 
 
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refused to perform its duty.1  In this case, the Superior Court record reflects 
that Johnson requested and received a copy of the indictment against him in 
October 2008.  Moreover, the Superior Court does not reflect the existence 
of an amended indictment.  Under the circumstances, Johnson cannot 
establish that the Superior Court has failed to perform a duty owed to him 
when, in fact, it provided him with the one and only indictment issued 
against him. Accordingly, we conclude that Johnson’s petition to fails to 
invoke this Court’s original jurisdiction to issue an extraordinary writ.   
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that Johnson’s petition for a 
writ of mandamus is DISMISSED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Carolyn Berger  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
1 In re Bordley, 545 A.2d 619, 620 (Del. 1988).