THE ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A SENTENCING MISTAKE IN THE DEFENDANT’S ABSENCE VIOLATED DEFENDANT’S CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHT TO BE PRESENT (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, vacating defendant’s sentence, determined the attempt to correct a mistake in the term of postrelease supervision in defendant’s absence violated defendant’s constitutional and statutory rights:
As the People concede, defendant’s constitutional and statutory rights to be present at sentencing were violated when the court resentenced defendant in his absence to correct a mistake in the term of postrelease supervision imposed (see CPL 380.40[1] …). Accordingly, the sentence is vacated and the matter is remanded for resentencing with defendant present. On remand, the court shall also address the discrepancy between the five-year term of postrelease supervision imposed on the weapon possession count at the original sentencing and the three-year term of postrelease supervision count reflected in the amended sentence and commitment sheet … . People v McCallum, 2024 NY Slip Op 00816, First Dept 2-15-24
Practice Point: Here the attempt to correct a mistake in the period of postrelease supervision in the defendant’s absence required vacation of the sentence.
