WHITE PLAINS – A man,
who pled guilty to manslaughter in Westchester County and was sentenced
as an adult, has won an appeal to be resentenced.
Charles Watson was sentenced as an adult after his plea on October 15,
2009. He appealed, claiming the court should have considered him a youthful
offender.
The Appellate Division now has vacated his sentence and sent the matter
back to Westchester County Supreme Court for resentencing after a determination
as to whether Watson should be afforded youthful offender treatment.
The appeals court decision noted the lower court conceded Watson was eligible
for youthful offender treatment “and the record does not demonstrate
that the Supreme Court considered whether the defendant should be afforded
such treatment.” As a result, his sentence “must be vacated
and the matter remitted to the Supreme Court, Westchester County, for
resentencing after a determination as to whether the defendant should
be afforded youthful offender treatment,” the Appellate Court decision
stated.
