Title: Collins v. DFS
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 632, 2011
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: December 21, 2011

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
CHAD COLLINS,1 
 
 
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§ 
No. 632, 2011 
 
Respondent Below, 
§ 
 
Appellant,  
 
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Court Below—Family Court of  
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the State of Delaware in and for 
v. 
 
 
 
 
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Kent County  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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DIVISION OF FAMILY  
 
§ 
SERVICES, 
 
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File No. CK10-03157 
 
Petitioner Below,  
§ 
Pet. No. 11-31598 
 
Appellee. 
 
 
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Submitted: December 7, 2011  
 
 
 
 
Decided: 
December 21, 2011 
 
Before BERGER. JACOBS and RIDGELY, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 21st day of December 2011, it appears to the Court that: 
(1) 
 The appellant, Chad Collins, filed a notice of appeal from the 
Family Court’s October 20, 2011 order issued after a preliminary protective 
hearing.  On its face, the order did not finally determine and terminate the 
underlying dependency/neglect petition in the Family Court.   
(2) 
Supreme Court Rule 42 (“Rule 42”) governs interlocutory 
appeals, i.e., appeals from interim, non-final orders.  Absent compliance 
                                          
 
1 By Order dated November 23, 2011, the Court sua sponte assigned a pseudonym to the 
appellant. 
 
2
with Rule 42, this Court’s jurisdiction is limited to the review of final 
judgments of trial courts.2  
(3) 
On November 23, 2011, the Clerk issued a notice directing that 
Collins show cause why this appeal should not be dismissed as an 
unauthorized interlocutory appeal.  In his answer to the notice to show 
cause, Collins addresses the merit of the underlying dependency/neglect 
petition.  He does not, however, address that the appeal is from an 
interlocutory order and is not in compliance with Rule 42.  The Court 
concludes that, in the absence of Collins’ compliance with Rule 42, this 
appeal must be dismissed.3   
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rules 29(c) and 42, that the appeal is DISMISSED.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jack B. Jacobs  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         Justice 
                                          
 
2 Julian v. State, 440 A.2d 990, 991 (Del. 1982). 
3 Id.