HERE THE NEW STATUTE REQUIRING THE PEOPLE TO FILE AND SERVE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE WITH DISCOVERY OBLIGATIONS WENT INTO EFFECT AFTER THE PEOPLE HAD ANNOUNCED READINESS FOR TRIAL; THE STATUTE RETURNED THE PEOPLE TO A STATE OF UNREADINESS; DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS ON SPEEDY-TRIAL GROUNDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, over a dissent, determined defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment on speedy trial grounds should have been granted. A new law went into effect during the course of the prosecution requiring the People to serve and file a certificate of compliance with discovery obligations (CPL 245.50(3)). Although the People had already announced they were ready for trial, the statute returned them to a state of unreadiness:

… “[T]he procedures outlined in CPL article 245 became applicable to [pending] action[s] as soon as that article became effective” … . * * *

… [W]ith respect to the effect of CPL 245.50 (3) on pending prosecutions in which the People had previously announced readiness for trial, we agree with the courts that have concluded that the People “were placed in a state of nonreadiness on January 1, 2020, the effective date of CPL article 245, as a matter of law, [where] no [certificate of compliance] had been filed as of that date” … . People v King, 2023 NY Slip Op 02409, Fourth Dept 5-5-23

Practice Point: CPL 245.50(3) went into effect during this prosecution after the People had announced readiness for trial. The statute returned the People to a state of unreadiness. The defendant was entitled to dismissal of the indictment.