The Court of Appeals determined the argument that the sentence to imprisonment was vindictive was not preserved. Defendant had successfully appealed his conviction after a nonjury verdict and then pled guilty to a different offense before a different judge. Although defendant argued for leniency, that did not preserve the “vindictive sentencing” argument:
The claim that the sentence imposed upon defendant’s guilty plea was presumptively vindictive and imposed without State Due Process protections … is unpreserved. Defendant’s arguments against imposition of the term of imprisonment, registered before the court imposed sentence, were consistent with arguments for leniency and made no specific reference to the principle of vindictiveness or any potential constitutional violation. Defendant also failed to either object to the sentence actually imposed or move to withdraw his guilty plea. Nor does this record support a claim that the sentence, which was within the ambit of the range of sentences for a class A misdemeanor, was illegal in a respect that “can readily be discerned from the . . . record” … . As a result, defendant’s arguments are unreviewable. People v Olds, 2021 NY Slip Op 02019, CtApp 4-1-21
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