The Delaware Supreme Court reinforced that the U.S. Marshals Service—and its deputized officers—has the legal authority to make arrests in the First State.

In so ruling, a three-justice panel of the high court affirmed a Superior Court decision to deny a defendant's claim that deputy marshals are not police officers, under Title 21 of the Delaware Code.

In 2014, Delaware State Police teamed with the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force to find and detain Carlton Gibbs, who had been wanted since September 2013 for violating the terms of his parole for a 1993 first-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault conviction, according to court records. A task force—consisting of Maryland state, county and municipal police and Maryland parole and probation officers—was formed, and its members deputized as U.S. marshals.