Background
Taha El-Abbadi appealed from a Superior Court order, docketed June 23, 2026, that adopted a commissioner’s recommendation to summarily dismiss his motion for postconviction relief.
El-Abbadi filed his notice of appeal on July 24, 2026. Under Delaware Supreme Court Rule 6(a)(iii)(B), the deadline was July 23. The Senior Court Clerk issued a certified-mail notice directing El-Abbadi to show cause why the appeal should not be dismissed as untimely. Although he received that notice on July 31, he did not respond by the August 10 deadline.
The Court’s Holding
The Delaware Supreme Court dismissed the appeal as untimely under Supreme Court Rules 3(b)(2) and 29(b). Because El-Abbadi did not respond to the notice to show cause, dismissal was deemed unopposed.
The court also held that El-Abbadi’s contemporaneous motion for appointment of counsel was moot in light of the dismissal.
Key Takeaways
- A notice of appeal filed after the applicable deadline is subject to dismissal.
- Failure to answer a show-cause notice may render dismissal unopposed.
- A request for appellate counsel becomes moot when the appeal is dismissed.
Why It Matters
The order underscores that postconviction appellants must comply with appellate filing deadlines and promptly address a court’s notice of potential untimeliness. A one-day-late notice, coupled with no response to a show-cause order, resulted in dismissal without reaching the merits.