THE AMOUNT OF RESTITUTION IS PART OF THE SENTENCE AND MUST BE PRONOUNCED AT SENTENCING; THE ISSUE NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL AND SURVIVES A WAIVER OF APPEAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined the judge’s failure to pronounce the amount of restitution at sentencing required vacating the imposition of restitution and remitting the matter for further proceedings. The issue does not need to be preserved for appeal and is not precluded by a waiver of appeal:

“CPL 380.20 and 380.40(1) collectively require that courts ‘must pronounce sentence in every case where a conviction is entered’ and that—subject to limited exceptions not relevant here—'[t]he defendant must be personally present at the time sentence is pronounced'” … . “Restitution is a component of the sentence to which CPL 380.20 and 380.40(1) apply” … . A violation of CPL 380.20 or 380.40(1) “may be addressed on direct appeal notwithstanding a valid waiver of the right to appeal or the defendant’s failure to preserve the issue for appellate review” … .

Here, it is undisputed that the precise dollar amount of restitution was not pronounced by the County Court at the time of sentencing, or at any other point on the record. “The County Court should have, but failed to, fix the amount and terms of restitution at the time it pronounced the sentence[s] of which restitution was to be a part” … . People v Long, 2022 NY Slip Op 05545, Second Dept 10-5-22

Practice Point: Restitution is part of the sentence and must be pronounced at sentencing. The issue need not be preserved for appeal and survives a waiver of appeal.