A judge has refused to let Erie County prosecutors tear up the 2023 plea agreement that resolved the killings of Charles Jones's mother and former girlfriend, meaning Jones will not face a trial over the deaths. Instead, he is now positioned to pursue a hearing that could ultimately shrink the sentence he received for the crimes.
According to WGRZ, Jones pleaded guilty in 2023 to killing Jacquetta L. Lee and Alethia Atwood Williams. His sentence in that case was later vacated, and the station reports the Erie County District Attorney's Office had sought to withdraw his plea agreement entirely — a request the judge has now denied. Judge Jessica Kulpit denied that request, per the station's reporting.
The ruling means Jones gets a chance to seek a reduced sentence rather than face a new trial over the deaths of the two women. Jones's defense has argued that he was himself a victim of domestic violence, the station notes, a claim that underpins his push for a different legal process than the one he originally agreed to.
How an Appeals Court Opened the Door
The case turns on a June decision from a state appellate panel. The Appellate Division, Fourth Department granted Jones a Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act hearing, as reported by The Buffalo News. That law allows certain domestic violence survivors convicted of crimes against their abusers to seek an alternative, potentially shorter sentence.
Crucially, the appellate court found that a defendant cannot waive such a hearing as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, the station's report states. That finding effectively overrides whatever Jones agreed to give up when he originally took the plea deal, and it is the legal hook that now keeps the case moving forward instead of heading back to trial.
Court records from the New York State Unified Court System describe the underlying judgment as convicting Jones, upon his guilty plea, of two counts of first-degree manslaughter. Separately, the same court system's guidance on these hearings states that a defendant who is a domestic violence survivor cannot waive the right to such a hearing as part of a negotiated guilty plea, specifically regarding eligibility for an alternative sentence under Penal Law Section 60.12.
What the DA's Office Said at the Time of the Plea
The Erie County District Attorney's Office has previously stated that Jones pleaded guilty on the day jury selection was scheduled to begin and waived his right to pursue a motion under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act at that time. That waiver is now the crux of the dispute, since the appellate court has since ruled such waivers cannot stand.
Kulpit indicated she must comply with the state appellate court's determination that a hearing be held, the station reported. If Jones receives that hearing and meets the law's requirements, his sentence could potentially be reduced, according to WGRZ's reporting — though nothing about the outcome of such a hearing has been determined.
There is a discrepancy in public reporting over how long Jones's original sentence actually was. WGRZ has described it as a 40-year murder sentence that was vacated, while a Buffalo News headline previously referred to a 50-year sentence; the dossier does not resolve which figure is accurate.
Next Court Date Set, Hearing Date Still Unknown
The parties are scheduled to return to court on December 8, 2026, WGRZ reports, though the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act hearing itself has no set date. For now, the case remains in a holding pattern: Jones will not stand trial, but how much his sentence might ultimately change remains an open question headed toward that December court date.
