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THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE DEFENDANT WAIVED HIS DUE PROCESS RIGHT TO BE PRESENT AT THE SORA RISK-LEVEL HEARING; RISK-ASSESSMENT REVERSED; ALTHOUGH NOT PRESERVED, THE ISSUE WAS CONSIDERED IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing the SORA risk assessment, determined the People did not demonstrate defendant had waived his due process right to be present at the hearing. Although the error was not preserved, the Second Department considered the appeal in the interest of justice:

A sex offender facing risk level classification under SORA has a due process right to be present at the SORA hearing … . “To establish whether a defendant, by failing to appear at a SORA hearing, has waived the right to be present, evidence must be shown that the defendant was advised of the hearing date, of the right to be present at the hearing, and that the hearing would be conducted in his or her absence” … . Reliable hearsay evidence, such as an affidavit, is admissible to establish waiver … . Here, the record is silent as to whether the defendant received notice of the SORA hearing and there was no evidence, hearsay or otherwise, that the defendant expressed a desire to forego his presence at the hearing. People v Perez, 2023 NY Slip Op 05161, Second Dept 10-11-23

Practice Point: Although a defendant can waive the due process right to be present at the SORA risk-assessment hearing, and the waiver can be proved by hearsay, here there was no evidence of a waiver and the risk assessment was reversed.

Practice Point: At issue here was defendant’s constitutional right to be present at the SORA risk-assessment hearing. Although the issue (his absence from the hearing) was not preserved, the appellate court considered the appeal in the interest of justice.

 

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