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DEFENSE COUNSEL INEFFECTIVE FOR CONCEDING DEFENDANT SUFFERS FROM A DANGEROUS MENTAL DISORDER; COUNTY COURT SHOULD HAVE HELD THE MANDATORY STATUTORY HEARING; APPEAL IS NOT ACADEMIC BECAUSE OF LASTING CONSEQUENCES OF THE ‘DANGEROUS MENTAL DISORDER’ FINDING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing County Court, determined defendant did not receive effective assistance of counsel because the attorney conceded defendant suffered from a dangerous mental disorder. County Court should have held the mandatory statutory hearing. The appeal is not academic because of the lasting effect of the finding defendant suffers from a dangerous mental disorder:

Although the commitment order has expired by its own terms, the appeal is not academic because the County Court’s determination that the defendant has a dangerous mental disorder has lasting consequences that will affect all future proceedings regarding his commitment and release … .

The initial hearing under CPL 330.20(6) is a critical stage of the proceedings during which the defendant is entitled to the effective assistance of counsel … . Here, there was simply no legitimate strategy that could have warranted defense counsel’s concession that the defendant suffered from a dangerous mental disorder, implicitly consenting to the defendant’s confinement in a secure facility … . As defense counsel failed to provide meaningful representation, the defendant was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel … .

Neither the defendant’s nor defense counsel’s concession to a finding of dangerous mental disorder can relieve the County Court from the obligation to provide the initial statutory hearing, which is mandatory (see CPL 330.20[6] … ). People v Juan R., 2020 NY Slip Op 01190, Second Dept 2-19-20

 

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