Court Opinion

ID: 9882090
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-04 23:22:38.756807+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:25:07.484200
License: Public Domain

10/04/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                          Case Number: DA 23-0584
                                      DA 23-0584
                                   _________________

 STATE OF MONTANA,

              Plaintiff and Appellee,

       v.                                                              ORDER

 WILLIE ANTOINE REDD,

              Defendant and Appellant.
                                _________________

       Chad Wright, Appellate Defender, petitions for an out-of-time appeal for Willie
Antoine Redd from the Judgment entered on July 5, 2023, by the Thirteenth Judicial
District Court, Yellowstone County, in Cause No. DC-21-218. The Attorney General’s
Office does not object to this motion.
       Wright asserts that Redd’s private trial counsel Robert Stephens died after the
sentencing hearing but before the judgment was entered. The Appellate Defender Division
only recently learned of Redd’s conviction and it has determined that Redd is eligible for
appointed counsel.
       Wright argues that it would be unjust to deny Redd the right to appeal when the
untimeliness of the Notice of Appeal was caused by circumstances outside of Redd’s
control.
       We grant out-of-time appeals under M. R. App. P. 4(6) when an appellant
establishes the existence of “extraordinary circumstances amounting to a gross miscarriage
of justice,” which would exist if we were to deny the petition here.
       IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the petition for an out-of-time appeal is
GRANTED.
       IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, on or before November 3, 2023, the Appellate
Defender shall prepare, file, and serve a Notice of Appeal and a Request for Transcripts, if
necessary, in compliance with the Montana Rules of Appellate Procedure.
       The Clerk is directed to provide copies of this Order to all counsel of record.
                                                                               Electronically signed by:
                                                                                     Mike McGrath
                                                                        Chief Justice, Montana Supreme Court
                                                                                    October 4 2023