State of Delaware v. Joshua Chattin - Compassionate Release Application Denied

DE Superior Court Opinions

Filed March 17th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

The Delaware Superior Court summarily denied Joshua Chattin's application for compassionate release. The denial was based on Chattin's failure to meet the statutory requirements under 11 Del. C. § 4217, including the lack of a required statement from the Department of Corrections and not meeting the age or sentence length criteria.

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What changed

The Delaware Superior Court, in the case of State of Delaware v. Joshua Chattin (I.D. No. 1510013711A&B), summarily denied the defendant's application for compassionate release filed on January 20, 2026. The court found that Chattin failed to meet the specific criteria outlined in 11 Del. C. § 4217. Specifically, the application was dismissed for lack of a written statement from the Department of Corrections and because Chattin, born in 1993, did not meet the age and sentence length requirements (requiring 25 years served for those under 60, while he was sentenced to 14 years unsuspended Level V time). Additionally, he has not served all statutorily mandated portions of his sentence.

This ruling means Chattin is ineligible for compassionate release under the current statute. The court also invoked 11 Del. C. § 4217(c)(4), prohibiting Chattin from refiling any subsequent application for three years due to the lack of good cause and the futility of any future filing. This decision has no immediate compliance actions for regulated entities but reinforces the strict interpretation and application of Delaware's compassionate release statute.

Penalties

Prohibited from refiling any subsequent application for three (3) years.

Source document (simplified)

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. Following a conviction by a jury at trial, Chattin was sentenced onDecember 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. 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. 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. This Section permits summary dismissal of such applications when these strictly defined circumstances are not met by the movant. 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. 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) 11 Del. C. § 4217(b)(5) c.

served twenty five (25) years of his originally imposed sentence. 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. 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).