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DEFENDANT’S COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO FILE A VALID MOTION TO WITHDRAW THE PLEA; THE MOTION WAS MISCHARACTERIZED AS A MOTION TO VACATE THE CONVICTION AND WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY NECESSARY AFFIDAVITS; DEFENDANT’S SENTENCE WAS VACATED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, vacating defendant’s sentence, determined defendant’s second counsel was ineffective in filing a motion to withdraw the plea:

Instead of filing a motion to withdraw defendant’s plea pursuant to CPL 220.60 (3), second counsel moved to vacate the judgment of conviction pursuant to CPL 440.10 (1) (h) based on generalized allegations, supported by his own “information and belief,” that first counsel had failed to properly investigate the facts, interview witnesses, assess the strength of the People’s case, file any motions or inform defendant of the consequences of pleading guilty. The People opposed the motion, noting that, inasmuch as defendant had yet to be sentenced , a motion pursuant to CPL 440.10 was premature. In reply, second counsel agreed that the motion was premature, presented the same allegations and asked that County Court nonetheless exercise its discretion to permit defendant to withdraw his plea, prompting the People to oppose the motion on the merits. By order entered September 14, 2017, County Court denied defendant’s CPL 440.10 motion to vacate the judgment of conviction as premature; alternatively, the court treated the motion as one to withdraw the plea and denied it, noting, among other things, that the motion was deficient as it was supported only by second counsel’s affirmation. * * *

Although second counsel’s mischaracterization of the subject motion does not, in and of itself, constitute ineffective assistance of counsel … , the motion was defective in other ways. Specifically, despite County Court granting second counsel two weeks to prepare a motion to withdraw defendant’s plea, he filed the motion in one day. In rushing his submission, second counsel failed to support the motion with affidavits from either defendant or first counsel, and he failed to incorporate any of the allegations that defendant made through the PSI; rather, second counsel opted to rely, exclusively, on his own “information and belief” and submitted a general, pro forma motion that was facially deficient. People v Williams, 2022 NY Slip Op 07265, Third Dept 12-22-22

Practice Point: Defense counsel was ineffective for failure to file a proper motion to withdraw the plea. The motion was mischaracterized as a motion to vacate the conviction and was not supported by necessary affidavits based upon first-hand knowledge.

 

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