State v. Chattin

THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

STATE OF DELAWARE, ) ) v. ) I.D. No. 1510013711A&B ) JOSHUA CHATTIN, ) ) Defendant. ) Date Submitted: January 20, 2026 Date Decided: March 17, 2026 ORDER ON DEFENDANT’S APPLICATION FOR COMPASSIONATE RELEASE – SUMMARILY DENIED IT IS SO ORDERED this 17th day of March, 2026, that Defendant’s Application for Compassionate Release pursuant to 11 Del. C. § 4217, be SUMMARILY DISMISSED.1 1. Following a conviction by a jury at trial,2 Chattin was sentenced on December 2, 2016, to fifteen (15) years at Level V suspended after ten (10) years at Level V for five (5) years at Level IV suspended after six (6) months at Level IV for two (2) years at Level III probation for Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited; ten years at Level V suspended after two years at Level V for five years at Level III for Drug Dealing; two years at Level V for Possession of a Deadly

11 Del. C. § 4217(b)(6).

State v. Joshua Chattin, Crim. I.D. No. 1510013711A, Docket Item (hereinafter “D.I.”) 28.

Weapon During the Commission of a Felony; and two years at Level V suspended for one year at Level III for Conspiracy Second.3 In total, Chattin was sentenced to fourteen (14) years of unsuspended Level V incarceration.

2. On January 20, 2026, pursuant to 11 Del. C. § 4217, Chattin applied for modification of his sentence seeking compassionate release.4 This newly enacted avenue for sentence modification allows a certain classification of incarcerated inmates to so move the Court under a limited and defined set of circumstances.5 This Section permits summary dismissal of such applications when these strictly defined circumstances are not met by the movant.6 3. Summary dismissal pursuant to 11 Del. C. § 4217(b)(6) is warranted here in that Chattin, while having served over half of the imposed Level V of his original sentence, did not provide a written statement from the Department of Corrections.7 4. Further, summary dismissal, pursuant to 11 Del. C. § 4217(b)(6) is warranted here in that Chattin was born in 1993, making him less than 60 years old.

Therefore, he can only qualify for compassionate release under this section if he has

State v. Joshua Chattin, Crim. I.D. No. 1510013711A&B, D.I. 35, 8, respectively. Chattin pled guilty to the Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited charge following his conviction in Crim. Act. No. 1510013711B.

D.I. 78-79 (1510013711A); 43-44 (1510013711B) See generally, 11 Del. C. § 4217.

11 Del. C. § 4217(b)(6) Del. C. § 4217(b)(5) c. served twenty five (25) years of his originally imposed sentence.8 Chattin was only sentenced to 14 years of unsuspended Level V time, therefore he will never qualify for relief under this statute.

5. Finally, Chattin is serving statutorily mandated terms of incarceration at Level V for his convictions and has not yet served all of the statutorily mandated portion of his sentence. This further disqualifies him from relief under § 4217.9 6. Chattin is therefore ineligible for relief under 11 Del. C. § 4217 and his Application is SUMMARILY DISMISSED.

7. Because Chattin’s application lacks good cause, it invokes 11 Del. C. § 4217(c)(4). Chattin is therefore prohibited from refiling any subsequent application for three (3) years, especially given that any future filing is futile.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

______________________________ The Honorable Danielle J. Brennan Original to Criminal Prothonotary Cc: Joshua Chattin (SBI: 00516356), Pro Se Department of Justice Heather Hamlet & Robert May, Department of Corrections

11 Del. C. § 4217(a)(3)c.

See 11 Del. C. § 4217(a)(5).