State of Delaware v. Clay S. Cooper

Annotate this Case
Download PDF
!"!#!$%&'% () ( * + , )- ) ! ! % ! &' ( * ( - * ++ $. ( " /# & $ ++ &" " &% & 0 $ ) ) , !1 $ " # ! ,$"$ 2 * ( ) /( 0 (1() 0 -( 2 ( () 2 (0( ) *(- )0 + 0 )-20 - / - / )- ) 5 1 ) 0 ) (2 , / - ) / 1 )-1 ) 062( / / 32 + * -(0 ( 2,, 32 + * -(0 0 - , 0/ 2)(- ( )- / 1 ( ) )- 32-41 ) ( 4 ) , / - )- ) .&!.7.8798 )- / ( ()( ( ( ) 9 * 0/ 4 )- 062( ) / / 32-41 ) 11( ( ) : - )( - , 0/ ; < (4/ ()4 / * -( 0 -- / 0 .&..7 87.8 / 0 / 2-) / 0 / ) )- ) ) (11 -( / - - )( - / 32 + ) - /( 1 ( ) .. , 19 0 $. $!!" 4 ) -- 32 + )- ) 5 / - ( 2 ) / 1 )-1 ) / 2 - ,2)( / ) + 2), 0 - )- *( - ) - / 1 @ ( ()-(*(-2 / 24/ / + )42 4 / - )- ) , ) )- ) 5 1 ( ) 32-41 ) 2 ) - * -(0 32-41 ) )- ) 5 0 11 ) (4/ ()4 / 1 / >#' 7.%"$8 *(- )0 + 0 )-20 0/ 4 )- / - 0 2 *(- )0 >.' 7.%?$8 1 / , &.> 2 - 1 + 9 () 2 ()4 ( 0/ 4 )0 ) (* + 0 ) "!> - - 2/ ( ( ) / - / 0 - 9+ / 2 12 9 ()0( *( 5 1 ) 0/ 4 - = )- )0+ + 0 )-20 () *( .. 0 ) ( 2 - )42 4 , ) (2( ) ! - + 0/ 4 - ( / -( 1 ) () *( / - ) / 1 ( ) -( / 42( + 062( 42( + ) / -( ) / - + 0 )-20 062( 3 : - 0 11( ( ) A( 0 1 2 ) () 1 / - / 9 / - 1) @(- 5 (* / )@ ,, B(1 / + ? !! )- ) ,, + 2 1( + ()4 -()) ) C2) .' $!!" 0/ - /(1 )- / * / 2 (- < ) (4/ / 4 - - ,D 2 = . ( / /( 1( + () / /( / ( ()4 () () / )@ + 2 2()()4 1+ A - / - )- ) 2 / 4 - / 11( ( ) - )- ) @) / / - /( 0/ 0@ 62 + 1 / A - - 1) /( + 25 () + 2 ( / ( 1 ) (- / / ) / = / - 1 ) / / 0 2 () )) + * )( 2, 1 ,29 (0 2) 2 () ( ( / () ) - ) () , ( ) 2 /( , / < 9 1 @ ) ) ) / 1 ( @(0@ / / ,( 0 / 02 )- - 9+ / ) + 2 / 0 11 ) 11( ( ) 5 1, + 0 )0 2 ( ) () -( 1 ) (0 212 )- - * ) , 2 ( 1 )) + * )( ) / 0 (1 = /( 0 1 (- ) (0 2 + 0 )-20 0 1()()4 / < , )) + )0 - 0/ 4 - ( / -( 2 -( + () / 2 9+ / ) ( / 9(44 / )+ 1 )- / 2- * (0 < -(- ) ) )- / - / <F G/ 0 -() ,29 (0 ()0 )* )( )0 H>>!&7 8 (1( , (0 - () )+ 1 .%%%8 EEEEE= + 0 )-20 0 2 0/ - $- %"& 7 2 / 9 / ) / * /(0/ 0 ) )) + * )( -( ( - 9+ )+ 02 ) - < / , / 2 5 ( / (- < EEE + 2 -(- ) ) / (- ( (0 0 11 ) )- 0 2 * / ?$' 0 / ) / 2 / : - , ( ) = B0 , )- ) : - (- 11( ( ) 4 / ) / ( / = )- ) , (- /( 9( / 11( ( ) 0 11( ( ) * 0 - , -( ( / 2 / 2-9 , + 0 )-20 42( + / - + 0 )-20 ( ,, (0 9 9 0 2 ) ( 42( + .. - ) -( 90 ) - + 0 )-20 )42 4 = .' H.&!.7.8798 2 (* / / / 0 2 @ / 7 0 ()) + $!!"8 , *(,29 (0 ()0 )* )( )0 4 2 2 / (1( , )) + )0 / , (1 + -( )0 9 / 2 ) ( 42( + -( 1 / 2 - 92 (* ) / @ )- $ (1 + 0 )-20 / ) 90 ) H$"! $! )42 4 2 ( / () ) 1 @ ( / / 0 2 ) 90 ) @ 2 62( / * / / -( - + 0 )-20 () 0 ()) +5 2 ) H$"! $! )+ / +, <- (4) / , 2 0 (9 , 9 0 1 , )( () B, 0 - !" + 0 )-20 ,, 1 )4 29 )( ) + 0 112)( + #&% 7.%>&8 - / 1 2) / ) 2 / 0 )-20 , () )- )219 002 / / +/ - - -( / - ) 1(4/ # &!& 0 - - / 4 * 1 ) 9 0 1 (11() ) ) / (@ + ) 9+9 $- $#> 7.%#%8 / ) 002 )0 9(-- ) 0 () ,29 (0 , 0 ( / ,29 (0 - 0 2 ()4 / 0 112)( + # $!& () (@ + 20/ -( 2 9 )0 $- &!# 7.%#!8 / / ) / , 0 9 9+ 20/ -( + / 0 )-20 0 1, () - / + 0 )-20 - )- 62( ' & # "! )- 1 / ,29 (0 , 0 ) (I 9 + 0 )-20 12 9 1 -( 62( / 0 )-20 - *( 41 ) & / ) 9 - 1 )) 0 2 )0 / # .$" J ( 12 9 $- ?%& 7.%"&8 = + 0 )-20 $- ?'! 7.%'!8 - $- $>! 7.%?'8 - - -( 2 9 )0 ()62( -( * / -( )- ) 5 0 )-20 / , 0 / 2 12 9 1 / -( 2 9 () / ()-(*(-2 -( ,2 ) 0 ) (- ()4 / , * @ ,29 (0 -( (1 1 20/ 0 )-20 $% / )( ( ) 0 )- )0+ )- , 0 / / - 0/ + "!# ) - "!" 9 41 ) (11() ) () / / 002 / /(0/ / - / <F G/ 0 / / () )- - 12 0 )-20 )- / (1 @( + 0 )-20 ( 2 () / 0 11 ) ,29 (0 , 9 1 = )0 ,29 (0 -( 2 9 )0 -( 2 - 7$!!"8 B, () / B, () - / 0 2 2)-()4 0( 021 - + 0 )-20 ( - 9 + )- / 0 )0 ) (11 -( / 0 2 / - @ (2 ( ) / 0 2 - ( -( ,, 2 -( )- / 20/ )42 4 @/ / 002 () ,29 (0 , 0 $29 )( & ) &## <5 (4/ ()45 - =0 7.%?!8 / - / , * @ *( ) 0( )= , 1 - ( )- <F G/ /( *( -( - )- ) / 1(4/ 9 *( -( 0 - , , 12 0 ) ,, (0 ( ) + 92 (* -4 ()/ , ) 2 2 / = , 1 ) / ) * / /(0/ ) + (@ + / - 12 9 62( - / </ / - )- ) 5 / / - / 1 ) ) 0 - , 0/ / ,( / / - / )- - 9+ / 1 / K / ) (* 2)0 ( ) 2 < (4/ ()4 / 1 / / - 0 2 ( ) --( ( ) - /(1 - 2 - , )- () + / 0 2 ) ) ) - 0 )*(0 ( ) + -- ( 2 -( 0 2 ( , 2, )- )0+ 0 ) ( /() ) )- / " 9 ()4 ( $- '#" 7.%?&8 0 .&!.7.8798 0 2 0 ) ()2 -2 (9 &.. / 0 ) ( 2 ( ) 42 - ) 2 )0 = () .. )42 4 ) (- , ( ) (1( 0 .&!.7.8798 - + 0 )-20 () (4/ 0 ) /(0/ / * 1 @ ( ()-(*(-2 # 5 ( ) (* + 0 ,2)( / / 2 - 2, 1 )+ ) 1 ) ,, (0 ( ) ( /() 0 ) ( 2 ( ) -( ) .> + 0 )-20 = ( / , / - / ) " / </ / ( ) "!& # 1 ) / 2 () - / , 4 0 11 ) @) 64 ) (11 -( 1 ) ) 1 )) -= # 2-1 @ )- - 9+ / *( # " ) 1 ) - 1 @ # -() + 0( (I ) / / ) -- 1 2 / - / <5 (4/ ()45 / ) -- -( 0 - $- ". 7 - .%?#8 / 0 2 2 ()4 2, 1 4 *( )0 9+ / , - 1 + (1( - 0 5 )0 (1( ( , 0/ ) 9(- , 0/ 1 0 )- 1) ( ) , ) 2 )0 , )( + / () / 0 ()4 , 1 ) 9 / 1 ) )J 7$8 9+ 1 @()4 ) / - / 7.8 / - ) (* + 0 93 0 )4 4 () 0 )-20 )42 4 / - -( 0 )- )0+ / ) 9 - 29 / )- ) 0 2 - ,29 (0 ()0 )* )( )0 2 /( ) 2 / 12 , * 9 + )- )0 J 7&8 / 0 - () ) ( ) ) --( ( ) / 0 2 12 (11 -( *( / 1 + ( /( 0 ) 0( 2 9 + )- )0 9+ / , ) / ) 9 - 29 ) / 1 / )42 4 ( -( 0 ,, +()4 / , 0 - 9+ / 1 ) 9 * ( )- / - -( 0 - 4 () / 02 2 )+ ) / 0 11 ) )( )42 4 /( 0 0 )0 2- / / ) / () / 0 ) / 1 )-1 ) )- ) 1 0 D D 0 / 11( ( ) / - 9+ 1 ) -(- ) 2 ) / + 1 2) - - , () + (@ + / 24/ () 2 ()4 0 2 0 ) (2( ) 0/ : - )+ *( 0 )0 2- / , 0 +, # 32 + )- 2, 2) )- ) ()4 0 - 9+ / ( 1 ( ) 062( )0 8 1 +9 1 - 1 ) 9 > ) ( )+ 0/ / , 0 0 .&!.7.8798 ,, + / - )- ) 5 )- 2 ) / 1 )-1 ) 062( ( 9 ( / - () $ ) / 0 2 )- / 0 2 1 + (- / ( / (- / * -(0 062( L / * ) 62 ( ) ( / / *( () )0 G () (4/ 1 * 9 / , 0 2-/ * 2)- / )( 1 ) / * / 2 ( ) 62( @( *(- )0 ( 9 ( / - 42( 9 + )()62( / / ( ) ( 0 9( / M. 7 1,/ ( () (4() 8 ) &6 32 + * -(0 2, ) 1 ( ) ( / 1 C 7 , ( .$ $!!$8 7 42( + * -(0 32-41 ) (- / , )- / 12 0 )0 2- / !" / 1 ) ()0 )* )( )0 / 0 2 ()0 )- ) 5 ) (2( ) 1 9 - 1 )) 9 )( - )) + 1 ) -(- ) / - ()4 / *(- )0 F )- 4( (1 02 ( ) ( ) ( 0 0 (1 9 + )) 9 - 29 5 / / 9 ( * / / ) 9 - 29 12 1 + 0 2-/ * 2)- / 42( ()0 12 2 / 0 )0 20 )0 2- / ) 9 - 29 0/ 4 -( / 1 - / / ( ) ( 0 *(- )0 () / (4/ 1 + 0 )-20 / - )- ) 5 2-) * 9 )42 4 0 ) ( 2 - , ()- / - 0 - , 0/ )- ) 42( + 9 + )- / ) 2 (0( ) 291( / 32-41 ) 062( / 32 + / 32 +5 * -(0 ( (- )- / - )- ) 5 1 ( ) ( 4 ) 7 7 8 89 /9/ $ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 4$ ! #

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.