Court Opinion

ID: 9902251
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-24 18:05:37.458635+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:48.301484
License: Public Domain

11/24/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                          Case Number: DA 23-0684
                                      DA 23-0684
                                   _________________

 STATE OF MONTANA,

              Plaintiff and Appellee,

       v.                                                              ORDER

 TORI NATHANIEL HAMLIN,

              Defendant and Appellant.
                                _________________

       Chad Wright, Appellate Defender, petitions for an out-of-time appeal for Tori
Nathaniel Hamlin from the Order entered on August 1, 2023, by the First Judicial District
Court, Lewis and Clark County, in Cause No. CDC-2021-229. The Attorney General’s
Office does not object to this motion.
       Wright asserts that Hamlin advised his trial counsel that he wished to appeal his
conviction and his trial counsel immediately submitted a referral to the Appellate Defender
Division (ADD). However, the ADD did not properly enter the referral in its case
management system and the matter was overlooked.
       Wright argues it would be unjust to deny Hamlin the right to appeal when the
untimeliness of the Notice of Appeal was caused by circumstances outside of Hamlin’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 December 8, 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
                                                                                  November 24 2023