State of Connecticut v. Charles Artis

New Haven, Connecticut criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with manslaughter.



On December 15, 2022, the defendant, Charles Artis, pleaded guilty, in two separate dockets,

to the crimes of manslaughter in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-55[1] and evading responsibility in the operation of a motor vehicle in violation of General Statutes § 14-224 (a).[2] Additionally, the defendant admitted to violating his probation.[3] These pleas and admission were entered pursuant to a plea bargain with the state containing an agreed upon sentence of twenty years of incarceration, execution suspended after fifteen years, followed by five years of probation with the right to argue for a lesser sentence. Before accepting the pleas and admission, the court canvassed the defendant and, after doing so, found that they were ''knowing[ly] and voluntarily made [and that the defendant had been] assisted by competent counsel ....'' When canvassing the defendant, the court did not inform him that the sentence to be imposed for his manslaughter conviction would make him ineligible to receive any risk reduction credits that could reduce his period of incarceration. See General Statutes § 18-98e.[



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Legal issue Was the trial court required to inform the defendant that a manslaughter conviction disqualified him from earning risk reduction credits before accepting his guilty plea?



Key Phrases Manslaughter in the first degree. Violation of probation. Plea bargain with the state. Risk reduction credits. Separation of powers.

Affirmed