FAILURE TO MENTION RESTITUTION IN DEFENDANT’S PRESENCE REQUIRES VACATION OF THE SENTENCE; DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF RESTITUTION IN THE PLEA AGREEMENT AND THE CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT MUST BE REMEDIED UPON RESENTENCING (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department vacated defendant’s sentence because the sentencing court did not mention restitution as part of the sentence in defendant’s presence. The error survives a lack of preservation and a waiver of appeal. The Fourth Department noted that any discrepancy between the restitution amount in the plea agreement and the amount in the confession of judgment must be remedied upon resentencing:

… [D]efendant contends, and the People concede, that his confession of judgment with respect to restitution must be voided because the amount thereof differs from the amount of restitution contemplated by the plea bargain. Although not raised by the parties, we conclude that defendant’s sentence must be vacated in its entirety because County Court failed to pronounce the sentence of restitution in open court … .

“CPL 380.20 and 380.40 (1) collectively require that courts must pronounce sentence in every case where a conviction is entered’ and that—subject to limited exceptions not relevant here— [t]he defendant must be personally present at the time sentence is pronounced’ ” … . Restitution is a component of the sentence to which CPL 380.20 and CPL 380.40 (1) apply … . The requirements of CPL 380.20 and CPL 380.40 (1) are “unyielding” … , and their violation may be addressed on direct appeal notwithstanding a valid waiver of the right to appeal or the defendant’s failure to preserve the issue for appellate review … . When the sentencing court fails to orally pronounce a component of the sentence, the sentence must be vacated and the matter remitted for resentencing in compliance with the statutory scheme … . People v Cleveland, 2019 NY Slip Op 08308, Fourth Dept 11-15-19