Absence of Evidence of Physical Injury Precluded 15 Point Assessment for Violence in SORA Proceeding

The First Department determined the SORA court improperly assessed 15 points for violence because there was insufficient evidence of physical injury:

The court erred in assessing 15 points under the risk factor for use of violence, because the People did not meet their burden of establishing, by clear and convincing evidence, that defendant caused physical injury (see Penal Law 10.00[9]) to the victim. Although minor injuries may cause substantial pain, a showing of “more than slight or trivial pain” is required …. The People do not dispute defendant’s assertion that the photographs of the injuries depicted only “faint marks and superficial scratches.” Although evidence of medical treatment is unnecessary to establish physical injury …, here the victim’s bare statement that her knee “hurt” was insufficient to support the inference that she suffered substantial pain, given the absence of evidence that she even used ice or an over-the-counter pain reliever. Furthermore, the injury was not sustained as a result of a deliberate assault or other act supporting an inference that it caused substantial pain …. Therefore, the court should have assessed 10 points for forcible compulsion, but not 15 points. People v Quito, 2013 NY Slip Op 03938, 1st Dept, 6-4-13