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DEFENDANT’S WAIVER OF APPEAL WAS INVALID; BASED UPON DEFENDANT’S STATEMENTS AT SENTENCING, THE JUDGE SHOULD HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENDANT WISHED TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA (THIRD DEPT). ​

​The Third Department, reversing defendant’s conviction by guilty plea, determined defendant’s waiver of appeal was invalid and, based upon defendant’s statements at sentencing, the judge should have inquired about whether defendant wished to withdraw his plea:

The People concede … that defendant’s waiver of the right to appeal is invalid, as County Court’s explanation of the waiver “failed to make clear to defendant that the appeal waiver was not a total bar to defendant taking an appeal, and the written waiver was similarly overbroad and did not clarify or supplement the court’s defective colloquy” … . … [D’efendant contends that his plea was not knowing, intelligent and voluntary based upon certain statements that he made at sentencing that raised potential defenses. “A trial court should conduct a hearing or further inquiry when at plea-taking or upon sentencing it appears the defendant misapprehends the nature of the charges or the consequences of the plea” … . “[S]tatements made by a defendant that negate an element of the crime to which a plea has been entered, raise the possibility of a particular defense or otherwise suggest an involuntary plea require the trial court to then conduct a further inquiry or give the defendant an opportunity to withdraw the plea” … .

At sentencing, defendant stated that he was “extremely remorseful and ashamed” for his actions in injuring the victim, but asserted that this occurred after he and the victim had consumed significant amounts of alcohol and the victim became “combative and physical . . . gouging my eyes and face with her fingernails, and then biting my lips, face and hands.” In explanation of his statement, defendant stated that he had wanted “to present evidence and [the] sequence of events.” Despite County Court’s agreement with the People’s voiced concerns that such statements raised the possibility of a defense, the court proceeded to sentence defendant without conducting a further inquiry and without providing him with an opportunity to withdraw his plea. People v Van Alstyne, 2023 NY Slip Op 05423, Third Dept 10-26-23

Practice Point: If the judge does not make it clear that an appeal waiver is not a complete bar to taking an appeal the waiver of appeal is invalid.

Practice Point: Here the defendant’s statements at sentencing raised the possibility of a defense to the charges. The judge should have inquired whether defendant wanted to withdraw his plea.

 

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