Delaware Case Commentaries

Homogenous Per-Share Merger-Damages Settlements May Proceed Under Rule 23(b)(1)/(b)(2) Without Mandatory Opt-Out; Celera Opt-Out Remains an Exceptional, Discretionary Remedy

Date: Sep 16, 2026

Homogenous Per-Share Merger-Damages Settlements May Proceed Under Rule 23(b)(1)/(b)(2) Without Mandatory Opt-Out; Celera Opt-Out Remains an Exceptional, Discretionary Remedy Case: IsZo Capital LP v....

Delaware Reaffirms Bridgeville Intermediate Scrutiny for Article I, § 20 and Declines Bruen’s History-and-Tradition Test

Date: Sep 12, 2026

Delaware Reaffirms Bridgeville Intermediate Scrutiny for Article I, § 20 and Declines Bruen’s History-and-Tradition Test I. Introduction Case: Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security v....

Smith v. State: Superior Court’s Near-Complete Discretion to Depart from Nonbinding SENTAC Guidelines (Aggravators Are Nonexclusive)

Date: Aug 31, 2026

Smith v. State: Superior Court’s Near-Complete Discretion to Depart from Nonbinding SENTAC Guidelines (Aggravators Are Nonexclusive) 1. Introduction In Smith v. State (Del. Aug. 27, 2026), the...

Delaware FOIA: No Attorney-Fee Awards in State-Agency “On-the-Record” Appeals; Agencies Must Provide Sworn Search Details and Disclose Segregable Personnel-File Information (Including Anonymized Demographics)

Date: Aug 26, 2026

Delaware FOIA: No Attorney-Fee Awards in State-Agency “On-the-Record” Appeals; Agencies Must Provide Sworn Search Details and Disclose Segregable Personnel-File Information (Including Anonymized...

Fee-as-Damages Claims Based on Pre-Litigation Bad Faith Must Be Raised Pretrial or Are Waived

Date: Aug 24, 2026

Fee-as-Damages Claims Based on Pre-Litigation Bad Faith Must Be Raised Pretrial or Are Waived I. Introduction Young Min Ban v. Joseph P. Manheim (Del. Aug. 21, 2026) addresses a recurring boundary...

Trust-Account Mismanagement and Negligent Compliance Misrepresentations Warrant a “Six Months and One Day” Suspension with Reinstatement Conditions

Date: Aug 22, 2026

Trust-Account Mismanagement and Negligent Compliance Misrepresentations Warrant a “Six Months and One Day” Suspension with Reinstatement Conditions 1. Introduction This attorney-discipline matter...

Robinson v. State (Del. 2026): Successive Rule 61 “Actual Innocence” Exception Requires Truly New, Non-Impeachment Evidence Likely to Change the Verdict

Date: Aug 22, 2026

Robinson v. State (Del. 2026): Successive Rule 61 “Actual Innocence” Exception Requires Truly New, Non-Impeachment Evidence Likely to Change the Verdict 1. Introduction In Robinson v. State (Del....

Circumstantial Proof of “Concealment” for Delaware CCDW: Jury May Infer Concealment from Video Comparison

Date: Aug 22, 2026

Circumstantial Proof of “Concealment” for Delaware CCDW: Jury May Infer Concealment from Video Comparison 1. Introduction In Scott v. State (Del. Aug. 18, 2026), the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed...

Parker v. The Borsello Companies, Inc.: Deferential “Substantial Evidence” Review, Flexible Evidence Rules Before the IAB, and Strict Issue Preservation on Appeal

Date: Aug 13, 2026

Parker v. The Borsello Companies, Inc.: Deferential “Substantial Evidence” Review, Flexible Evidence Rules Before the IAB, and Strict Issue Preservation on Appeal 1. Introduction Prince Parker...

Tapia Limits Do Not Govern Delaware VOP Sentencing; VOP Admissions Waive Contested Hearing

Date: Aug 13, 2026

Tapia Limits Do Not Govern Delaware VOP Sentencing; VOP Admissions Waive Contested Hearing 1. Introduction In Banks v. State (Del. Supr. Aug. 10, 2026), the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed a Superior...

Jean-Baptiste v. State: No Presumption of Jailhouse-Informant Unreliability in Rule 29 Review; No Plain-Error Duty to Sua Sponte Voir Dire or Mistrial for Brief, Inconspicuous Victim-Support T-Shirts

Date: Aug 13, 2026

Jean-Baptiste v. State: No Presumption of Jailhouse-Informant Unreliability in Rule 29 Review; No Plain-Error Duty to Sua Sponte Voir Dire or Mistrial for Brief, Inconspicuous Victim-Support T-Shirts...

Interlocutory Review Under Delaware Supreme Court Rule 42 Requires Exceptional Circumstances—Routine Motion-to-Dismiss Denials (Even in High-Profile Defamation Cases) Do Not Qualify

Date: Aug 7, 2026

Interlocutory Review Under Delaware Supreme Court Rule 42 Requires Exceptional Circumstances—Routine Motion-to-Dismiss Denials (Even in High-Profile Defamation Cases) Do Not Qualify Case: Fox News...

Subdivision Conditions Must Be Evidence-Based and Explained; Extra-Code Wetlands Buffers for Pending Applications Are Unreasonable

Date: Aug 7, 2026

Subdivision Conditions Must Be Evidence-Based and Explained; Extra-Code Wetlands Buffers for Pending Applications Are Unreasonable Case: Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission v. Smokey Hollow,...

Tang v. State (Del. 2026) — No Per Se Duty to Activate MVR at First Suspicion; BAC Results Admissible Without Manufacturer Manual Upon Adequate Foundation

Date: Jul 24, 2026

No Per Se Duty to Activate Dash-Cam at First Suspicion; BAC Results Admissible Without Manufacturer Manual When an Adequate Foundation Is Laid Introduction Tang v. State (Del. July 23, 2026)...

Bus Aide Assignment and Student-Supervision Methods Are Discretionary Under Delaware’s Tort Claims Act; Special-Needs Regulations Do Not Create a Ministerial Hiring/Placement Duty

Date: Jul 23, 2026

Bus Aide Assignment and Student-Supervision Methods Are Discretionary Under Delaware’s Tort Claims Act; Special-Needs Regulations Do Not Create a Ministerial Hiring/Placement Duty 1. Introduction In...

“A Deadly Weapon” Means One Weapon: Separate § 1448 Convictions for Each Firearm (and Ammunition) Possessed by a Person Prohibited

Date: Jul 23, 2026

“A Deadly Weapon” Means One Weapon: Separate § 1448 Convictions for Each Firearm (and Ammunition) Possessed by a Person Prohibited Case: Abbott v. State (Del. Supr. July 21, 2026) | Court: Supreme...

Reliable Foundation Required for Expert Future Lost-Wage Projections; Narrow Admission of Stale Dishonesty Convictions Under D.R.E. 609(b) When Credibility Is Central

Date: Jul 23, 2026

Reliable Foundation Required for Expert Future Lost-Wage Projections; Narrow Admission of Stale Dishonesty Convictions Under D.R.E. 609(b) When Credibility Is Central Case: Willie L. Bowman v....

Delaware: No Article I, § 4 Jury-Trial Right in Delaware Securities Act IPU Administrative Enforcement; Due-Process Challenges Must Be Ripe or Truly Facial

Date: Jul 18, 2026

Delaware: No Article I, § 4 Jury-Trial Right in Delaware Securities Act IPU Administrative Enforcement; Due-Process Challenges Must Be Ripe or Truly Facial I. Introduction Case: Swan Energy, Inc.,...

Carman v. State — Treatment Discharge as a VOP Proven by “Some Competent Evidence” Despite Hearsay Limits

Date: Jul 16, 2026

Treatment Discharge as a VOP Proven by “Some Competent Evidence” Despite Hearsay Limits 1. Introduction Carman v. State (Del. July 14, 2026) is a Delaware Supreme Court order affirming a Superior...

Preservation Rule: No Appellate Review of Search-Warrant Probable Cause Absent a Pretrial Suppression Motion (Delaware Supreme Court Rule 26(c))

Date: Jul 15, 2026

Preservation Rule: No Appellate Review of Search-Warrant Probable Cause Absent a Pretrial Suppression Motion (Delaware Supreme Court Rule 26(c)) 1. Introduction Tucker v. State (Del. July 10, 2026)...