LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Courtney Elaine Young was sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison, one month after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other charges.
As part of the plea agreement brokered by her attorney and the Commonwealth, Young will not be eligible for parole at any time during her prison term.
“The result is what we had expected,” said attorney Sarah Langer following the ruling by Circuit Court Judge Thomas Travis on Thursday morning.
Young was arrested several weeks after her role in the shooting death of Nicole Morton in Lexington in the early morning hours of October 25, 2022. In court during the sentencing hearing, Langer stated that Young fired at Morton out of “fear, not malice” because she didn’t know who was in the home at the time of the shooting on Maple Avenue.
Young’s sister, Christine Boyce, was the only other person the court heard from when impact statements were made. Boyce asked for leniency, saying her sister could be a productive member of society.
Judge Thomas essentially sided with the Commonwealth’s recommendation, sentencing Young to ten years for manslaughter and five years for being a felon in possession of a gun. Three of the additional five years she received for evidence tampering and being a persistent offender will run concurrently, bringing the total to 17 years. With 366 days of time served, Young would be eligible for release in 2040.
“The fact that he decided to run some of it (concurrently) is a blessing for my client,” Langer said.
Morton’s family members declined to comment following the ruling and did not offer any victim impact statements in court, doing so apparently in writing only.
