DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON WHETHER HE SHOULD BE OFFERED ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF HIS SENTENCE; THE ISSUE SURVIVED DEFENDANT’S GUILTY PLEA (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant was entitled to a hearing on whether he is eligible for judicial diversion, i.e., alcohol or substance abuse treatment as an element of sentencing:
… “[A]ppellate review of the defendant’s claim that his application for judicial diversion was improperly denied is not foreclosed by his plea of guilty” … .
Pursuant to CPL 216.05(3)(a), upon receipt of a completed alcohol and substance abuse evaluation report … either the People or an “eligible defendant” … , may request a hearing on the issue of whether the eligible defendant should be offered alcohol or substance abuse treatment … .
… [T]he Supreme Court improvidently exercised its discretion in denying the defendant’s motion without first conducting a hearing pursuant to CPL 216.05(3)(a) on the issue of whether the defendant should be offered alcohol or substance abuse treatment. It is undisputed that the defendant is an “eligible defendant” as defined in CPL 216.00(1), and that an “alcohol and substance abuse evaluation” as defined in CPL 216.00(2) was completed. Based upon the conclusions contained in that evaluation, the court should have granted that branch of the defendant’s motion which was for a hearing on the issue of whether he should be offered alcohol or substance abuse treatment … . People v Commissiong, 2021 NY Slip Op 03193, Second Dept 5-19-21
