HEARSAY ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT REVOCATION OF PROBATION (FOURTH DEPT).
The Fourth Department, vacating the declaration of delinquency, determined the hearsay testimony of a police investigation was not sufficient to prove defendant violated the terms and conditions of a probationary sentence:
… [T]he evidence at the hearing that he committed a criminal offense while on probation consisted entirely of hearsay testimony from a police investigator. “While hearsay is admissible at a probation revocation hearing, hearsay alone does not satisfy the requirement that a finding of a probation violation must be based upon a preponderance of the evidence” … . Based on this record, we conclude that County Court’s determination “was based on hearsay alone and therefore cannot stand” … . People v Hawkey, 2025 NY Slip Op 00569, Fourth Dept 1-31-25
Practice Point: Hearsay is admissible at a probation revocation hearing, but hearsay alone will not support revocation.
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