Thomas v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the denial of DeAndrae Thomas’s postconviction motion, rejecting his claim that he was coerced into pleading guilty and that counsel was ineffective for participating in the alleged coercion. Although the motion was untimely and the Superior Court lacked authority to extend the filing deadline, the court considered the merits because Thomas had relied on the extension. The court held that the identity of the fourth person at the pre-plea meeting did not affect the conclusion that Thomas’s plea was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.