Title: Jackson v. State
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 652, 2002
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: February 4, 2003

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
ROMAYNE O. JACKSON,
Defendant Below-
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF DELAWARE,
Plaintiff Below-
Appellee.
§
§
§  No. 652, 2002
§
§
§  Court Below—Superior Court
§  of the State of Delaware,
§  in and for New Castle County
§  Cr.A. Nos.VN96-09-0413-01
§                  VN97-09-0532-01
§
Submitted: December 9, 2002
  Decided:   February 4, 2003
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and STEELE, Justices
O R D E R
This 4th day of February 2003, upon consideration of the appellant’s
opening brief and the appellee’s motion to affirm pursuant to Supreme Court
Rule 25(a), it appears to the Court that:
(1)
The defendant-appellant, Romayne O. Jackson, filed an appeal
from the Superior Court’s October 30, 2002 order denying his motion for
reduction/modification of sentence.  The State of Delaware has moved to affirm
the judgment of the Superior Court on the ground that it is manifest on the face
1SUPR. CT. R. 25(a).
2Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., No. 385, 1998, Berger, J. (May 26, 1999).
3A review of the VOP hearing transcript reflects that, in sentencing Jackson, the
Superior Court inadvertently transposed the criminal action numbers for the robbery
conviction and the cocaine possession conviction.  
4Jackson v. State, Del. Supr., No. 31, 2002, Walsh, J. (Sept. 16, 2002).
-2-
of Jackson’s opening brief that the appeal is without merit.1  We agree and
AFFIRM.
(2)
In May 1998, a Superior Court jury convicted Jackson of Robbery
in the Second Degree, among other charges.  He was sentenced to 5 years
incarceration at Level V, to be suspended after 1 year for a total of 4 years at
decreasing levels of probation.  Jackson’s convictions and sentences were
affirmed by this Court on direct appeal.2  In June 1998, Jackson pleaded guilty
to Possession of Cocaine.  He was sentenced on that conviction to 1 year
incarceration at Level V, to be suspended for 1 year of probation.  
(3)
In January 2002, Jackson was found to have violated his probation
in connection with his 1998 convictions.  He was sentenced to a total of 7 years
incarceration at Level V, with credit for 16 months previously served.3  The
judgment of the Superior Court was affirmed by this Court on direct appeal.4
5That error, in turn, is reflected on the Superior Court sentencing orders entered on
the same date.
6SUPER. CT. CRIM. R. 36.
-3-
(4)
In this appeal, Jackson claims that the 5-year Level V VOP
sentence imposed in January 2002 in connection with his 1998 conviction for
cocaine possession was enhanced in violation of his constitutional rights
because his original sentence for cocaine possession was only 1 year at Level
V.  
(5)
Jackson’s claim is without merit.  The record does not reflect any
error or abuse of discretion on the part of the Superior Court in sentencing
Jackson.  The record reflects only that the Superior Court inadvertently
transposed the criminal action numbers for Jackson’s robbery and cocaine
possession convictions at the January 10, 2002 VOP hearing5 and that the
Superior Court properly used its authority to correct the error in its October 30,
2002 order denying Jackson’s motion for reduction/modification of sentence.6
(6)
It is manifest on the face of the State of Delaware’s opening brief
that this appeal is without merit because the issues presented on appeal are
controlled by settled Delaware law and, to the extent that judicial discretion is
implicated, clearly there was no abuse of discretion.
7Jackson’s motion to strike the State’s motion to affirm as a non-conforming
document, which was filed on December 16, 2002, is denied as meritless. 
-4-
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Supreme Court
Rule 25(a), the State of Delaware’s motion to affirm is GRANTED.  The
judgment of the Superior Court is AFFIRMED.7
BY THE COURT:
/s/ E. Norman Veasey
Chief Justice