Jones v. Sussex County Superior Court

• Court: Supreme Court of Delaware
• Decided: July 18, 2025
• Docket: 144,2025
• Status: Published

Opinion

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

MATTHEW JONES, § § No. 144, 2025 Plaintiff Below, § Appellant, § Court Below—Superior Court of § the State of Delaware v. § § C.A. No. S25C-03-019 SUSSEX COUNTY SUPERIOR § COURT, § § Defendant Below, § Appellee. §

Submitted: June 6, 2025 Decided: July 18, 2025

Before SEITZ, Chief Justice; VALIHURA and TRAYNOR, Justices.

ORDER

After consideration of the opening brief and the record on appeal, we conclude

that the Superior Court’s order dismissing appellant Matthew Jones’s complaint

should be affirmed sua sponte.1 In the complaint, Jones alleged that he was entitled

to damages because Superior Court employees ended his life by repeatedly raping

and shooting him in 2001.2 The Superior Court dismissed the complaint as factually

1 Del. Supr. Ct. R. 25(c) (“After filing of the appellant's opening brief, a panel of the Court by unanimous action may, sua sponte, enter an order or opinion affirming the judgment or order of the trial court for the reason that it is manifest on the face of the appellant’s opening brief that the appeal is without merit ....”). 2 Jones filed a similar complaint that the Superior Court dismissed as legally and factually frivolous in May 2025. Jones v. Kent Cnty. Superior Ct., 2025 WL 1420241 (Del. Super. Ct. May 16, 2025). frivolous under 10 Del. C. § 8803(b). It is manifest from Jones’s opening brief,

which relies on inapplicable federal statutes and makes factually frivolous claims,

that his appeal is without merit and that the Superior Court did not err in dismissing

his complaint.

We previously warned Jones that if he continued to file frivolous lawsuits and

appeals, he would be enjoined from filing appeals in this Court without first seeking

leave of the Court.3 We now conclude that Jones’s frivolous filings constitute an

abuse of the judicial process. Thus, the Clerk of this Court is directed to refuse any

future appeal Jones files from a Superior Court order dismissing a complaint he files

as factually frivolous, legally frivolous, or malicious, unless the appeal is

accompanied by the required filing fee or a completed motion to proceed in forma

pauperis with a sworn affidavit containing the certifications required by 10 Del. C.

§ 8803(e) and that motion is granted by the Court.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, that the judgment of the Superior

Court is AFFIRMED.

BY THE COURT:

/s/Karen L. Valihura Justice

3 Jones v. Connections CSP, 2020 WL 5269017, at *1 (Del. Sept. 1, 2020); Jones v. Hay, 2020 WL 4530293, at *1 (Del. Aug. 4, 2020).