You are here: / / A HEARING ON A DEFENDANT’S ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SENTENCE...
, ,

A HEARING ON A DEFENDANT’S ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SENTENCE PURSUANT TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS JUSTICE ACT (DVSJA) CANNOT BE WAIVED AS A CONDITION OF A PLEA AGREEMENT; SENTENCE VACATED AND MATTER REMITTED (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department, vacating defendant’s sentence and remitting the matter, determined defendant’s waiver of a hearing on whether he was eligible for an alternative sentence pursuant to the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA) was invalid:

Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him, upon his plea of guilty, of two counts of manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.20 [1]). As a condition of his plea, defendant waived his right to a Penal Law § 60.12 hearing to determine his eligibility for an alternative sentence under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Inasmuch as “section 60.12 hearings are not waivable as a condition of a plea agreement” … , we agree with defendant that this matter must be remitted for further proceedings, including a Penal Law § 60.12 hearing should defendant request one … . We therefore modify the judgment by vacating the sentence, and we remit the matter to County Court for further proceedings…. . People v Jones, 2026 NY Slip Op 03527, Fourth Dept 6-5-26

Practice Point: A defendant cannot waive a hearing on eligibility for an alternative sentence pursuant to the DVSJA as a condition of a plea agreement. Here defendant’s sentence was vacated and the matter was remitted for a hearing if defendant requests it.

 

You might also like
Question of Fact About Whether Horse Owner Liable for Injuries to Novice Rider
DETERMINATION ALLOWING USE OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS TO ACCESS A CLAY MINING OPERATION REVERSED, NO DEMONSTRATION PROPERTY WAS WORTHLESS UNDER EXISTING ZONING.
Court Should Have Granted a Hearing on Defendant’s Motion to Vacate His Conviction on Ineffective-Assistance Grounds
Storm in Progress Doctrine Warranted Summary Judgment to Defendant in Slip and Fall Case
BECAUSE DEFENDANT INVOKED HIS RIGHT TO COUNSEL WHEN HE WAS NOT IN CUSTODY HE COULD VALIDLY WITHDRAW HIS REQUEST WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF COUNSEL (FOURTH DEPT).
DEFENDANT’S RIGHT TO COUNSEL ATTACHED AT THE PENNSYLVANIA ARRAIGNMENT; SUBSEQUENT QUESTIONING BY PENNSYLVANIA POLICE IN THE ABSENCE OF COUNSEL VIOLATED DEFENDANT’S RIGHT TO COUNSEL; NEW YORK POLICE DID NOT MAKE A REASONABLE INQUIRY INTO DEFENDANT’S REPRESENTATIONAL STATUS (FOURTH DEPT). ​
FAMILY COURT CAN EXERCISE JURISDICTION OVER A NONRESIDENT PUTATIVE FATHER IN A PATERNITY ACTION AS LONG AS THE FACTS HAVE A CONNECTION WITH NEW YORK STATE; THE PETITION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE (FOURTH DEPT).
THE SUPPRESSION COURT PROPERLY FOUND THE POLICE OFFICERS’ TESTIMONY ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE TRAFFIC STOP CREDIBLE; TWO DISSENTERS DISAGREED (FOURTH DEPT).

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

PETITIONER, THE GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON AND PROPERTY OF AN INCAPACITATED PERSON... EVIDENCE THAT THE A-FRAME LADDER WAS NOT SECURED AND WAS “IMPROPERLY PLACED”...