Court Opinion

ID: 9393381
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-09 23:04:53.963885+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:52.970620
License: Public Domain

05/09/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                                      Case Number: DA 23-0237

                                          DA 23-0237
                                                                             FEED
 NICK LENIER WILSON,                                                          MAY 0 9 2023
                                                                                         rm
                                                                                  tfens3 p
                                                                              IC oe
                                                                          e rsO           e    n:ear:C
                                                                                           r:orn        dur t
                                                                                                     c:Lo
                                                                       CI B
                                                                                               n
              Petitioner and Appellant,

       v.                                                             ORDER

 STATE OF MONTANA,

              Respondent and Appellee.

       Representing himself Nick Lenier Wilson has filed a verified Petition for an
Out-of-Time Appeal, indicating that he failed to file a timely Notice of Appeal because the
final judgment was sent to the wrong address. He includes supporting documents.
       Wilson explains that the Clerk of the District Court mailed the Ravalli County
District Court's Opinion and Order for his petition for postconviction relief to a home
address on record, prior to his arrest. He states that he has not lived there since March 18,
2018. He adds that after his July 2019 sentencing, he has been incarcerated in the Montana
State Prison. Following his March 2023 placement in the pre-release center in Butte, he
contacted the Clerk of District Court about his petition for relief there.
       M. R. App. P. 4(6) allows this Court to grant .an out-of-time appeal "[i]n the
infrequent harsh case and under extraordinary circumstances amounting to a gross
miscarriage of justice[J"
       Wilson includes a copy of the January 17, 2023 Opinion and Order denying and
dismissing his petition for postconviction relief. He also attaches a copy of the March 21,
2023 letter noting that the clerk's office had received the returned Opinion and Order for
failure to deliver because of a wrong address. We conclude that Wilson has demonstrated
extraordinary circumstances.
      IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Wilson's Petition for an Out-of-Time Appeal
is GRANTED.
      IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Wilson shall prepare, file, and serve a Notice of
Appeal on or before Thursday, June 8, 2023.
      The Clerk of the Supreme Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to counsel
of record and to Nick Lenier Wilson along with a copy of this Court's Appellate Handbook.
      DATED this - I day of May, 2023.

                                                              Chief Justice