Evans v. State

Supreme Court of the State of Delaware · June 2, 2025 · No. 351, 2024

Summary

The Delaware Supreme Court issued a per curiam order affirming the Superior Court’s judgment in this criminal appeal. The court found that the appellant’s guilty plea was entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily, thereby waiving his claim that trial counsel failed to investigate and file a motion to suppress. Relying on established precedent, the court concluded that no reversible error occurred and affirmed the lower court’s ruling.

Court
Supreme Court of the State of Delaware
Writing for the Court
N. Christopher Griffiths; Chief Justice Seitz; Justice Legrow; Justice Griffiths
Jurisdiction
Delaware
Decision date
June 2, 2025
Docket number
351, 2024
Procedural posture
Appeal from judgment of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware
Precedential value
published
Parties
Carl Evans v. State of Delaware
Disposition
affirmed

Topics

appellate procedureappellate jurisdictionstandard of review

Practice areas

criminal procedure

Questions Presented

  1. Whether the appellate court should affirm the Superior Court’s order affirming judgment based on the defendant’s knowing, intelligent, and voluntary guilty plea.

Holdings

  1. The judgment of the Superior Court is affirmed because the plea colloquy demonstrated a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of the claim that counsel failed to investigate and file a motion to suppress.

Key quotations

The judgment of the Superior Court is AFFIRMED.

Factual background

Carl Evans pleaded guilty to a criminal charge. He asserted that his counsel failed to investigate and file a motion to suppress evidence. The trial court’s plea colloquy found that Evans entered his plea knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily, thereby waiving any claim of ineffective assistance.

Procedural history

The Superior Court entered an order on August 7, 2024 affirming the judgment after the defendant entered a guilty plea. The appellant appealed, claiming that counsel failed to investigate and file a motion to suppress, but the plea colloquy showed a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of that claim.

Court Document

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