Title: Elohim v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 405, 2006
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: March 15, 2007

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
CHEIKH AHMED ELOHIM, 
 
Plaintiff Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE 
INSURANCE COMPANY, 
 
Defendant Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 405, 2006 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below─Superior Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  C.A. No. 04C-12-203 
§ 
§ 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: March 6, 2007 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: March 15, 2007 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and BERGER, Justices 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 15th day of March 2007, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The plaintiff-appellant, Cheikh Ahmed Elohim, has filed an 
appeal from a June 27, 2006, Superior Court jury verdict and from the 
Superior Court’s December 18, 2006, denial of his application for a copy of 
the trial transcript at State expense.  Because Elohim has failed to comply 
with Supreme Court Rule 9(aa) requiring payment of the record preparation 
fee and Supreme Court Rule 9(f) requiring payment of the trial transcript 
fee, his appeal must be DISMISSED. 
 
2
 
(2) 
 Elohim’s underlying lawsuit sought payment of personal injury 
protection (“PIP”) payments from the defendant-appellee, St. Paul Fire & 
Marine Insurance Company (“St. Paul”) in connection with a June 11, 2004, 
accident in which Elohim alleges he was injured while a passenger on a 
Delaware DART bus.  Following trial in the Superior Court, the jury found 
that Elohim had not sustained any compensable injuries in the accident.       
 
(3) 
On July 27, 2006, Elohim filed a notice of appeal in this Court.  
On August 4, 2006, the Clerk directed Elohim to file directions to the court 
reporter and proof of service on or before August 18, 2006.  On that date, 
Elohim filed directions to the court reporter designating the transcript of the 
June 27, 2006, jury trial.  After being advised by the court reporter of the 
cost of the transcript, Elohim moved in this Court for the appointment of 
counsel and in the Superior Court for a copy of the trial transcript at State 
expense.  Both motions were denied.   
 
(4) 
On January 16, 2007, additional time was granted for Elohim to 
pay the record preparation fee.  As of the date of this Order, Elohim still has 
not paid the record preparation fee and the record still has not been filed.  On 
February 5, 2007, Elohim filed an opening brief in this Court on the ground 
that the trial judge’s rulings at trial were erroneous and constituted an abuse 
 
3
of discretion.1  As of the date of this Order, Elohim still has not paid for a 
copy of the trial transcript and has provided no record support for the claims 
made in his opening brief. 
 
(5) 
An appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court is considered on the 
basis of the trial record.2  The appellant must pay the record preparation and 
transmittal fee within the time limit imposed by the trial court unless the trial 
court waives the fee or other arrangements are made.3  If the appellant fails 
to comply with the rule relating to payment of the record preparation fee, 
any other party may move to dismiss the appeal or the Court may sua sponte 
dismiss the appeal.4       
 
(6) 
Likewise, the time periods for designating, ordering, and paying 
for a trial transcript are mandatory unless this Court orders otherwise for 
good cause shown.5  The burden is on the appellant to produce such portions 
of the trial transcript as are necessary to give this Court a fair and accurate 
account of the context in which the claim of error occurred.6  If the appellant 
fails to comply with the rules relating to designating, ordering or paying for 
                                          
 
1 In his response to St. Paul’s motion to dismiss, Elohim also argues that the Superior 
Court improperly denied his motion for a copy of the trial transcript at State expense.   
2 Supr. Ct. R. 9(a). 
3 Supr. Ct. R. 9(aa). 
4 Id. 
5 Supr. Ct. R. 9(f). 
6 Slater v. State, 606 A.2d 1334, 1336-37 (Del. 1992); Ingram v. Heiman, et al., Del. 
Supr., No. 472, 1999, Walsh, J. (Mar. 22, 2000). 
 
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a trial transcript, any other party may move to dismiss the appeal or the 
Court may sua sponte dismiss the appeal.7   
 
(7) 
Elohim has failed to pay the record preparation fee as he was 
obligated to do.  Moreover, once the Superior Court had denied Elohim’s 
application for a copy of the trial transcript at State expense,8 it was 
Elohim’s obligation to pay the transcript preparation fee, which he also has 
failed to do.  We, therefore, have no choice but to dismiss Elohim’s appeal.   
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule 9, that the within appeal is DISMISSED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Randy J. Holland 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice 
   
 
                                          
 
7 Supr. Ct. R. 9(f). 
8 The record reflects that the Superior Court was within its discretion to deny Elohim’s 
application.