Habitual Offender Sentencing

Felony Battery Prosecution Outcome

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office would like to provide an update on a felony battery prosecution.  In August, the defendant was found guilty of beating a homeless shelter employee and breaking the man’s jaw.  As a result of that conviction, the defendant has now been sentenced to 25 years in prison, the result of this office having filed notice of intent to seek habitual criminal status based on the defendant’s lengthy and violent criminal history.  In contrast, the maximum sentence for a felony battery charge without a weapon is 1 to 5 years in prison.   

Christopher Stewart Woodstone, 36, from Reno, was found guilty earlier this year of Battery Causing Substantial Bodily Harm after a two day trial in Washoe County District Court.  Woodstone was arrested in December, 2016 by the Reno Police Department (RPD) after an investigation into a battery at the Community Assistance Center’s Record Street family shelter.  Woodstone was asked to leave the family shelter after staff received disturbance complaints about him.  He responded by punching a male staff member in the face and breaking his jaw.  Woodstone fled after the battery and a police report was filed. He returned to the shelter a week later and was arrested.

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Kevin Naughton argued that the lengthy habitual sentence was appropriate for someone with Woodstone’s violent criminal history which included convictions for Robbery, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Domestic Battery.  The State also presented video evidence which depicted Woodstone attacking strangers at a gas station in April of this year.

The District Attorney’s Office continues to aggressively seek lengthy sentences against repeat offenders in order to prevent additional members of our community from becoming victims of crime. Sentencing as a habitual criminal on a qualifying conviction can result in maximum prison terms of 20 years to life without the possibility of parole in prison.