You are here: / / DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN...
,

DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing County Court, determined defendant’s motion to vacate his conviction should not have been denied without a hearing. The affidavits in support of the motion raised a question whether defense counsel was ineffective for failing to interview alibi witnesses and sufficiently raised a claim of actual innocence:

​

We agree with the contention of defendant in his main and supplemental pro se briefs that he was entitled to a hearing on his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and actual innocence. With respect to defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, we conclude that nonrecord facts may support defendant’s contention that his trial counsel failed to investigate two potential alibi witnesses and was ineffective in failing to present the testimony of one or both of those witnesses. It is well settled that “[a] defendant’s right to effective assistance of counsel includes defense counsel’s reasonable investigation and preparation of defense witnesses” … . Here, defendant’s CPL 440.10 motion was supported by the police investigation report, which demonstrated that the alibi witnesses had been interviewed by the police and made statements supporting defendant’s alibi. We note that the police report was annexed to the People’s CPL 710.30 notice.

In addition, defendant submitted his own affidavit and an affidavit from one of the alibi witnesses likewise asserting facts supporting defendant’s alibi claim. While a hearing may ultimately reveal that “counsel made reasonably diligent efforts to locate the [alibi] witness[es]” and present their testimony at trial … , or that there was a strategic reason for the failure to do so… , we agree with defendant that his submissions raised factual issues requiring a hearing … .

Additionally, we conclude that County Court erred in denying defendant’s motion without holding a hearing to address defendant’s claim that the judgment of conviction should be vacated pursuant to CPL 440.10 (1) (h) based on his actual innocence of the crimes of which he was convicted… . We conclude that defendant made a prima facie showing of actual innocence sufficient to warrant a hearing on the merits … . Specifically, in support of his claim of actual innocence, he submitted competent evidence establishing an alibi through, inter alia, witnesses who, although identified before trial in a police report attached to the People’s 710.30 notice, did not testify at trial. People v Pottinger, 2017 NY Slip Op 08972, Fourth Dept 12-22-17

 

CRIMINAL LAW (DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE, DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT))/VACATE CONVICTION, MOTION TO (DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT))/INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE (DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT))/ACTUAL INNOCENCE  (DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED WITHOUT A HEARING, QUESTIONS SUFFICIENTLY RAISED ABOUT WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INTERVIEW ALIBI WITNESSES AND DEFENDANT’S ACTUAL INNOCENCE (FOURTH DEPT))

You might also like
THE INSTALLATION OF MOTION-ACTIVATED SECURITY LIGHTS WHICH SHINE INTO A NEIGHBOR’S PROPERTY CAN CONSTITUTE A PRIVATE NUISANCE (FOURTH DEPT).
Relation Back Doctrine Allowed Adding Doctor as Defendant in Medical Malpractice Action after Expiration of Statute of Limitations.
TRIAL COURT DID NOT, AS PROMISED, INSTRUCT THE JURY ON THE PURPOSES OF INTRODUCING HEARSAY EVIDENCE OF THE CHILD-VICTIM’S DISCLOSURES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DEFENSE COUNSEL DID NOT OBJECT; THE MAJORITY CONCLUDED THE ISSUE WAS NOT PRESERVED FOR APPEAL; TWO DISSENTERS ARGUED THE ERROR WAS REVERSIBLE AND DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR NOT OBJECTING (FOURTH DEPT).
DEFENDANT’S STATEMENT THAT HE HAD A HANDGUN SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, HOWEVER THE HANDGUN WOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED ABSENT THE STATEMENT AND WAS ADMISSIBLE, THE SUPPRESSION ERROR THEREFORE COULD NOT HAVE AFFECTED DEFENDANT’S DECISION TO PLEAD GUILTY.
HERE THE ASSAULT SECOND DEGREE COUNT WAS AN INCLUSORY CONCURRENT COUNT OF ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER; THE ASSAULT SECOND CONVICTION WAS REVERSED AND THE COUNT DISMISSED; THE TERM “INCLUSORY CONCURRENT COUNT” WAS EXPLAINED (FOURTH DEPT).
RELEASE SIGNED BY ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE WILL, RELEASING THE EXECUTOR FROM LIABILITY STEMMING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ESTATE, WAS NOT VALID BECAUSE THE BENEFICIARY WAS NOT FULLY INFORMED ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES IN THE ESTATE, AND THE EFFECTS OF LEAVING A TRUST UNFUNDED, SURROGATE’S COURT IMPROPERLY PLACED THE BURDEN OF DEMONSTRATING THE RELEASE WAS INVALID ON THE BENEFICIARY (FOURTH DEPT).
Sentence for Offenses Rising from Same Incident Must Be Concurrent
Plaintiffs Entitled to Attorney’s Fees Pursuant to 42 USC 1988—Criteria Explained

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

82 YEAR SENTENCE FOR THREE BURGLARIES AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT DEEMED TOO HARSH... WAIVER OF APPEAL INVALID (FOURTH DEPT).