Williams v. State

ON PETITION TO TRANSFER

FRANK SULLIVAN, JR., Justice.

Douglas W. Williams filed for post-conviction relief 21 months (arguably five months) after the completion of his unsuccessful direct appeal. Later Williams unsuccessfully sought to withdraw the case from the post-conviction judge for failure to rule. The court ultimately dismissed on grounds of laches. We find that the court did not lose jurisdiction over the case but did err in finding that Williams waited an unreasonable length of time before filing.

Background

A jury found Williams guilty of murder and this Court affirmed Williams’s…