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TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOT IN A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING; DEFENDANT, IN THE PLEA ALLOCUTIONS, DID NOT ADMIT TO FIRING SEPARATELY AT EACH VICTIM; THEREFORE THE PEOPLE DID NOT MEET THEIR BURDEN TO SHOW THE COMMISSION OF TWO DISTINCT CRIMES; CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES COULD NOT BE IMPOSED (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, affirming the Appellate Division, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Rivera, over a two-judge dissent, determined the prosecutor did not demonstrate that the two victims of this drive-by shooting were struck by different bullets fired separately at each, causing separate injuries to each. Therefore the judge could not impose consecutive sentences. The court noted that this issue need be preserved for appeal:​

… [T]he prosecutor should have been aware at the time of the plea, based on our unambiguous caselaw, that they had the burden of ensuring defendant allocuted to sufficient facts to establish that he separately shot at the two victims or that the victims were injured by separate bullets, in order for consecutive sentencing to be legally authorized. But because the prosecutor failed to satisfy their burden and place on the record the alleged “separate and distinct” acts underlying the two crimes … , the trial court had no legal authority to impose consecutive sentences in this case. People v Sabb, 2026 NY Slip Op 01590, CtApp 3-19-26

Practice Point: Here the defendant was never asked during the plea allocutions whether he fired two shots separately injuring the two victims. Therefore the People did not meet their burden to prove the commission of two separate crimes and consecutive sentences could not be imposed.

 

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