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State v. Stafford

Superior Court of Delaware
Jan 9, 2024
ID 2101000281 (Del. Super. Ct. Jan. 9, 2024)

Opinion

ID 2101000281

01-09-2024

STATE OF DELAWARE, v. BYRON STAFFORD, Defendant.


ORDER

SHELDON K. RENNIE, JUDGE

1. On this 9th day of January, 2024, upon consideration of Defendant Byron Stafford's ("Defendant") pro se Motion for Sentence Modification (the "Motion") made pursuant to Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(b), the sentence imposed upon Defendant, and the record in this case, it appears to the Court that:

D.I. 23. Defendant does not specifically cite to Rule 35(b) in the Motion, but he asks this Court to modify the conditions of his probation.

2. On March 16, 2022, Defendant pled guilty to Robbery in the Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony ("PFDCF").

D.I. 17.

3. On March 30,2022, this Court sentenced him to (1) Robbery, five years of Level V supervision, followed by six months of Level IV supervision, followed by one year of Level III supervision and (2) PFDCF, three years of Level V supervision.

D.I. 18.

4. On October 5, 2023, Defendant filed the instant Motion, in which he asks the Court to modify the Level IV supervision portion of his sentence to Level IV (Home Confinement). In support, he states that his mother is willing to host him for this period and that he has secured employment.

D.I. 23.

5. Rule 35(b) authorizes this Court to "reduce the . . . conditions of partial confinement or probation, at any time." A motion to modify the terms of partial confinement or probation is not subject to the ninety-day limitation that applies to a motion for sentence reduction.

State v. Harmon, 2023 WL 7599111, at *1 (Del. Super. Nov. 14, 2023) (quoting State v. Baily, 2017 WL 8787504, at *1 (Del. Super. Oct. 3, 2017)).

6. After reviewing the Motion, sentence, and record in this case, the Court finds no just cause for sentence modification. Defendant's sentence is appropriate for all the reasons stated at the time of sentencing. Accordingly, Defendant's Motion is DENIED.

Where this Court has considered similar motions to modify the Level IV portion of a sentence to remove the discretion of the Delaware Department of Correction, it has tended to deny them. See State v. Snead, 2023 WL 2987103, at *1 (Del. Super. Apr. 12, 2023); State v. Starkey, 2020 WL 2789704, at *2 (Del. Super. May 29, 2020); State v. Charles, 2020 WL 2026833, at *2 (Del. Super. Apr. 21, 2020); State v. Joseph, 2018 WL 1895697, at *1 (Del. Super. Apr. 11, 2018); State v. Kilson, 2016 WL 1590965, at *1 (Del. Super. Apr. 14, 2016).

IT IS SO ORDERED.


Summaries of

State v. Stafford

Superior Court of Delaware
Jan 9, 2024
ID 2101000281 (Del. Super. Ct. Jan. 9, 2024)
Case details for

State v. Stafford

Case Details

Full title:STATE OF DELAWARE, v. BYRON STAFFORD, Defendant.

Court:Superior Court of Delaware

Date published: Jan 9, 2024

Citations

ID 2101000281 (Del. Super. Ct. Jan. 9, 2024)