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DEFENDANT’S GUILTY PLEA WAS NOT VOLUNTARY BECAUSE HE WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE MANDATORY FINES FOR THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW OFFENSES; AN EXCEPTION TO THE PRESERVATION REQUIREMENT APPLIED; AN APPEAL WAIVER DOES NOT PRECLUDE ARGUING THE PLEA WAS INVOLUNTARY (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, reversing the Appellate Division, determined defendant’s guilty plea was not voluntary because he was not informed of the mandatory fines for the Vehicle and Traffic Law offenses. Although the error was not preserved, the “no actual or practical ability to object” preservation exception was invoked: An appeal waiver does not preclude the defendant from arguing the plea was involuntary:

An exception to the preservation requirement exists where, as here, a defendant had “no actual or practical ability to object” prior to the imposition of the fines by the sentencing court … . Further, a valid appeal waiver does not preclude a defendant from challenging a plea as involuntary, where the court fails to advise a defendant of a component of their sentence before it is imposed … .

Supreme Court erred in failing to inform defendant at the time of his plea that the sentences for two of the offenses to which he was pleading guilty included mandatory fines (see Vehicle and Traffic Law § 511 [3] [b]; Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1193 [1] [a]) The failure to “ensure that . . . defendant, before pleading guilty, ha[d] a full understanding of what the plea connotes and its consequences” … , requires vacatur of the plea. People v Padilla-Zuniga, 2025 NY Slip Op 01563, CtApp 3-18-25

Practice Point: The failure to inform the defendant of mandatory fines renders the guilty plea involuntary.

Practice Point: Here the “no actual or practical ability to object” exception to the preservation requirement applied.

Practice Point: An appeal waiver does not preclude the argument that the plea was involuntarily entered.

 

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THE DEFENDANT’S MAXIMUM SENTENCE WAS 20 YEARS BUT THE JUDGE REPEATEDLY TOLD DEFENDANT HE WAS FACING 45 YEARS; THE MAJORITY DETERMINED THE GUILTY PLEA WAS NOT VOLUNTARILY ENTERED; THE DISSENT ARGUED THE ISSUE WAS NOT PRESERVED (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, reversing the Appellate Division, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Rivera, over a two-justice dissent, determined defendant’s guilty plea was not entered voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently because the judge repeatedly told the defendant he was facing 45 years in prison when his sentence was capped at 20. The dissent argued the error was not preserved:

The issue on appeal is whether defendant Marquese Scott’s guilty plea was knowing, voluntary, and intelligent. Supreme Court made an egregious error during the plea proceedings, repeatedly asserting that defendant faced up to 45 years’ incarceration if found guilty after trial, when his maximum exposure was statutorily capped at 20 years. As we have long recognized, inaccurate information regarding a sentence is a significant factor in determining whether a plea was voluntary. Given defendant’s young age, his inexperience facing serious charges with the risk of consecutive sentencing, and the vast disparity between the plea offer of 6 to 8 years and the court’s erroneous assertion that he faced 25 years more than the law allowed, we hold that defendant’s guilty plea was not the result of a free and informed choice. Accordingly, defendant’s plea cannot stand. * * *

From the dissent:

With only narrow exceptions, we have unequivocally required a defendant to preserve a challenge to the voluntariness of their plea by making “a motion to withdraw the plea under CPL 220.60 (3) or a motion to vacate the judgment of conviction under CPL 440.10” … . People v Scott, 2025 NY Slip Op 01562, CtApp 3-18-25

Practice Point: A guilty plea entered after the defendant is erroneously told he is facing 45 years in prison when the sentence is statutorily capped at 20 is not voluntary.​

Practice Point: Here the dissent argued the majority should not have carved out a new exception to the preservation requirement to consider the merits of this case.

 

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DEFENSE COUNSEL’S LACK OF PREPARATION AND FAILURE TO LIMIT MOLINEUX EVIDENCE DEPRIVED DEFENDANT OF EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE; NEW TRIAL ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined defendant was not provided with effective assistance of counsel:

… [T]he record reveals that on several occasions as the case neared trial, including during the Mapp and Molineux hearings, and subsequently at the trial defense counsel was unfamiliar with and had not reviewed relevant and critical discovery obtained from defendant’s cell phones following the execution of a search warrant. For example, defense counsel initially failed to object to the admission of a flash drive containing the entire contents of defendant’s cell phones, but, when the People later isolated a portion of the cell phone contents as a separate exhibit for the jury, defense counsel objected—although the contents had already been admitted—and acknowledged that he had not had a chance to review “the exact exhibit.” Defense counsel also failed to object to the portion of those contents containing voice notes, which constituted improper hearsay … . Additionally, defense counsel’s failure to review the contents of defendant’s cell phones had the result that he could not appreciate how important certain text messages and other communications were to the People’s case. Defense counsel belatedly sought to admit certain physical evidence of financial transactions that had not previously been disclosed during discovery to counter the communications presented by the People. County Court, however, precluded that physical evidence. Furthermore, defense counsel never sought a limiting instruction on the Molineux evidence that the People were permitted to introduce … . We conclude that “[t]here is simply no legitimate explanation for” defense counsel’s failure to properly investigate the law, facts, and issues relevant to the case and that “[t]his failure seriously compromised defendant’s right to a fair trial” … . People v Cousins, 2025 NY Slip Op 01535, Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: Here defense counsel did not review evidence provided in discovery and failed to seek a limiting instruction on the Molineux evidence the People were allowed to introduce. A new trial was ordered.

 

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THE EVIDENCE THAT DEFENDANT HAD USED ALCOHOL TO EXCESS AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME WAS CONFLICTING AND INSUFFICIENT; IN ADDITION, THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT IN CUSTODY OR UNDER SUPERVISION AT THE TIME OF ALLEGED MISCONDUCT; THEREFORE 25 POINTS WERE TAKEN OFF DEFENDANT’S RISK-LEVEL ASSESSMENT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined the evidence did not support the finding that defendant was intoxicated at the time of the offense. In addition the SORA court wrongly found that defendant was in custody or under supervision at the time of alleged misconduct. Therefore a total of 25 points were wrongly applied to the risk-level assessment:

… [I]n order to demonstrate that [defendant] was abusing . . . alcohol at the time of the offense, the People [were required to] show by clear and convincing evidence that [defendant] used alcohol in excess . . . at the time of the crime” … . Here, the victim informed a caseworker that, on the night of that incident, defendant had been “outside by the fire drinking.” Defendant’s ex-wife also indicated in her victim impact statement that defendant was “drunk” on the night of that incident, but it is unclear whether the source of her information was the victim or hearsay from an unidentified third-party with whom the victim had spoken and whose reliability could not be tested … . In contrast, the victim denied that defendant had been drinking at the time of the second incident and indicated that defendant “normally doesn’t drink.” In his interview with probation, defendant denied “current alcohol or substance use and . . . any current or past treatment for such.” We conclude that there is no indication in the record that defendant abused alcohol by drinking in excess, that defendant became intoxicated, or that alcohol affected his behavior during the incident … . Nor is it “clear from the record what time the drinking occurred, how much [defendant] had to drink, and how much time passed before he abused [the] victim” … . The People thus failed to establish that defendant abused alcohol at the time of the offensive conduct, and the court erred in assessing 15 points under risk factor 11. People v Crane, 2025 NY Slip Op 01530,Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: Here the evidence that defendant had used alcohol to excess at the time of the crime was weak and conflicting, rendering it insufficient to support the 15 points assessed on that ground.

 

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ALTHOUGH THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT THE PAROLE ABSCONDER FOR WHOM THE POLICE HAD AN ARREST WARRANT, THE MAJORITY DETERMINED THE PEOPLE PROVED THE POLICE REASONABLY BELIEVED DEFENDANT WAS THE PAROLE ABSCONDER WHEN THEY APPROACHED HIM, WHICH JUSTIFIED THE PURSUIT OF THE DEFENDANT; TWO DISSENTERS ARGUED THE PROOF AT THE SUPPRESSION HEARING, WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE TESTIMONY BY THE OFFICERS WHO FIRST APPROACHED DEFENDANT, DID NOT DEMONSTRATE THE POLICE REASONABLY BELIEVED DEFENDANT WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE ARREST WARRANT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, over a two-justice dissent, determined the police reasonably (but erroneously) believed defendant was the parole absconder for whom they had an arrest warrant. The pursuit and arrest, based in part on observing the defendant discard an handgun, were deemed proper:

… [T]here is no dispute that the apprehension team had probable cause to arrest the parole absconder inasmuch as an arrest warrant had been issued. As for the second element, “[t]he reasonableness of the arresting officers’ conduct must be determined by considering the totality of the circumstances surrounding the arrest”… , and “great deference should be given to the determination of the suppression court, which had the opportunity to observe the demeanor of the witnesses and to assess their credibility, and its factual findings should not be disturbed unless clearly erroneous” … . Even though “[f]light alone . . . is insufficient to justify [a] pursuit” … , we conclude that under the totality of the circumstances present here the arresting officer’s testimony establishes that he reasonably believed that defendant was the absconder when he initiated his pursuit. Defendant closely matched the height and weight provided in the parole absconder’s description, covered his face with a ski mask, was in the location provided by the absconder’s girlfriend, and immediately fled upon being approached by one of the apprehension team’s unmarked vehicles. Inasmuch as the initial pursuit and subsequent arrest of defendant—which occurred after he was observed holding and then discarding a handgun—were lawful, the court did not err in refusing to suppress the physical evidence recovered during the post-arrest search of defendant and the surrounding area … .

From the dissent:

In our view, however, it does not appear that the pursuing officers had even a subjectively reasonable belief that defendant was the parolee for whom they had an arrest warrant. Indeed, the People, who are “put to the burden of going forward to show the legality of the police conduct in the first instance” … , failed to adduce anything other than that defendant matched the generic height and weight of the average male in the general population. Notably, the People failed to call the approaching officers, and thus adduced no testimony with respect to their actions, observations, or whether they believed—reasonably or not—that defendant was the parole absconder, particularly in the absence of any evidence that they chased defendant when he fled.

The officers who did testify at the suppression hearing—the pursuing officers—testified simply that defendant roughly matched the height and weight of the parolee and that he fled. As set forth above, the pursuing officers did not testify that the approaching officers gave chase when defendant fled. Coupled with the pursuing officer’s testimony that at the point when defendant fled, he was “free to leave,” the record at the suppression hearing undercuts any possible claim that the pursuing officers were not simply chasing a man who fled, but that they actually believed defendant to be the parolee for whom they had an arrest warrant. People v Jones, 2025 NY Slip Op 01524, Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for insight into the validity of an arrest of the “wrong person,” i.e., the approach, pursuit and arrest of one person based upon an arrest warrant for issued for another.

 

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THE MAJORITY CONCLUDED THE HEARSAY ALLEGATIONS IN THE SEARCH WARRANT APPLICATION PROVIDED PROBABLE CAUSE TO SEARCH TWO DIFFERENT RESIDENCES; THE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT ARGUED THE APPLICATION DID NOT PROVIDE PROBABLE CAUSE TO SEARCH ONE OF THE TWO RESIDENCES, I.E., THERE WERE NO DETAILS DESCRIBING THE NARCOTICS THE INFORMANT OBSERVED IN THE RESIDENCE AND NO INDICATION WHEN THE OBSERVATON WAS MADE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, over a two-justice dissent, determined the hearsay allegations in the search warrant application were sufficient to provide probable cause to search two different residences. The two dissenting justices agued that the search warrant application focused on one residence and barely mentioned the other:

From the dissent:

Here, the warrant application in question concerned two addresses, i.e., 205 Curtis Street and 215 Curtis Street, but contained a mere two statements based on the confidential informant’s claimed knowledge regarding 205 Curtis Street. Specifically, it stated that “[t]he [confidential informant] has been inside 205 Curtis St[reet] on multiple occasions and is aware that narcotics are kept inside the location,” and that “[t]he [confidential informant] . . . has been to 205 and 215 Curtis Street multiple times for narcotics transactions.” The remaining contents of the six-page, single-spaced warrant application focused on 215 Curtis Street.

… [W]e agree with defendant that the hearsay information regarding 205 Curtis Street does not provide the requisite basis of knowledge justifying the issuance of the search warrant for that address … . First, we note that the application neither details any transaction that occurred at 205 Curtis Street, nor specifies the type of narcotic exchanged during such transaction. Second, no time frame is provided for the hearsay statements concerning 205 Curtis Street, and it is therefore entirely possible that the unspecified drug transaction occurred years or decades ago. In fact, the warrant application entirely fails to set forth what was actually observed by the informant at 205 Curtis Street or when it was observed … . On this record, we conclude that there is no basis provided to support the informant’s claimed awareness of narcotics at 205 Curtis Street. People v Berry, 2025 NY Slip Op 01523, Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: According to the dissent, the bare allegation the informant observed narcotics in a residence, without any detail and without any time frame, did not provide probable cause for the search of that residence.

 

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ASSAULT THIRD IS AN INCLUSORY CONCURRENT COUNT OF ASSAULT SECOND; THE ASSAULT THIRD CONVICTION REVERSED AND THE COUNT DISMISSED; THE ISSUE NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department determined the assault third conviction must be reverses as an inclusory concurrent count of the assault second degree conviction. The issue need not be preserved for appeal:

… [A]ssault in the third degree is an inclusory concurrent count of assault in the second degree … . Thus, that part of the judgment convicting defendant of assault in the third degree must be reversed and count 2 of the indictment dismissed … , and we therefore modify the judgment accordingly. Contrary to the People’s contention, preservation of this issue is not required … . People v Niles, 2025 NY Slip Op 01502, Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: Assault third is an inclusory concurrent count of assault second. A defendant cannot stand convicted of both. The issue can be raised for the first time on appeal.

 

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THE OFFICER’S TESTIMONY HE COULD NOT SEE INSIDE THE CAR FROM A DISTANCE OF 10 TO 15 FEET PROVIDED PROBABLE CAUSE TO STOP THE CAR FOR A “TINTED WINDOWS” VIOLATION; THE DISSENT ARGUED IT WAS DARK AT THE TIME OF THE STOP AND THE OFFICER DID NOT LINK HIS INABILITY TO SEE INSIDE THE CAR TO THE TINTED WINDOWS AS OPPOSED TO THE AMBIENT DARKNESS (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department, affirming County Court, over a dissent, determined the officer’s testimony he could not see the driver’s face from a distance of 10 to 15 feet demonstrated probable cause of a “tinted window” violation which supported the vehicle stop. The dissent argued the officer’s testimony was insufficient to demonstrate probable cause because it was dark at the time of the stop and the officer did not link his inability to see inside the car to the tinted windows, as opposed to the ambient darkness:

Here, the officer who initiated the stop testified at the suppression hearing that he looked directly at the driver’s side window of the vehicle defendant was operating, that he did so from a distance of no more than 10 to 15 feet, and that he was “unable to see the driver of the vehicle” through the window. We conclude that the officer’s testimony contained sufficient facts to establish that he reasonably believed that the windows were excessively tinted in violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375 (12-a) (b) (2) … .

From the dissent:

The officer who attempted to initiate the stop of defendant’s vehicle testified that he believed any level of tint on the front driver’s side window or the front passenger window would be illegal and that the actual tint on the vehicle’s windows was never tested with a tint meter. He further testified that he initially observed the vehicle when it was dark outside and that he was unable to see the driver inside the vehicle. At no point did the officer testify that it was the window tint, as opposed to the ambient darkness, that prevented him from seeing the driver. The officer’s failure to link the allegedly excessive tint with his inability to see into the vehicle distinguishes this case from those cited by the majority, in which the arresting officer “testified at the suppression hearing that he could tell the window tints were too dark because he could not see into the [vehicle]” … or “specifically testified that the driver’s side windows were ‘so dark that [he] was unable to actually see the operator of the vehicle as the vehicle was going by’ ” … . Because the officer’s testimony here failed to link his conclusory belief that the windows were excessively tinted with an objective fact in support of that belief, I conclude that the People failed to meet their burden … . People v Hall, 2025 NY Slip Op 01457, Fourth Dept 3-14-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for some insight into the proof required for a valid “tinted-windows-violation” traffic stop.

 

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IN THE CONTEXT OF DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE, THE COURT OF APPEALS EXPLAINED THE CRITERIA FOR A VALID MISDEMEANOR COMPLAINT, VERSUS A MISDEMEANOR INFORMATION (CT APP). ​

The Court of Appeals, affirming the convictions by guilty pleas to misdemeanor complaints, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Troutman, determined the factual allegations in the complaints were sufficient. The defendants were charged with driving with a suspended license and argued the complaints did not demonstrate reasonable cause to believe they knew they their licenses had been suspended:

The misdemeanor complaints here satisfy the reasonable cause standard. The complaints “state[d] the time, date and location of the[ ] events,” and otherwise “provide[d] [defendants] with enough information” of how defendants committed the crime “to put [them] on notice of the crime” and “to prevent defendant[s] from facing double jeopardy on the same charges” … . Defendants knew from the complaints what they were accused of doing and where, when, and how they allegedly did it. Based on the complaints’ allegations, defendants could assess what defenses were available to them, such as contending that they never knew their licenses were suspended, that they were never served with a summons, or that the summonses didn’t warn them that their licenses would be suspended if they failed to respond.

… [D]efendants contend that the complaints failed to provide reasonable cause because they did not specifically allege that defendants personally received the summonses. * * * … [T]he numerous summonses issued to each defendant are sufficient to convince a person of ordinary intelligence, judgment, and experience that it is reasonably likely defendants received at least one of them. …

… [D]efendants’ consent to prosecution by misdemeanor complaint relieved the People of their obligation under a misdemeanor information to proffer “[n]on-hearsay allegations establishing every element of each charge” … . Although that obligation—known as “the prima facie case requirement”—applies to an information, “[a] misdemeanor complaint, in comparison, need only set forth facts that establish reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the charged offense” … .

Nor were the complaints deficient simply because they did not explain how the officers knew about suspension warnings appearing on traffic summonses or about those suspensions occurring automatically (by computer) within four weeks of a defendant’s failure to answer those summonses. We do not require complaints to contain such “formulaic recitation” … . Moreover, at this stage, the officers’ statements about summonses “appear[] reliable” … , inasmuch as the law tasks officers with delivering traffic summonses to alleged violators … . People v Willis, 2025 NY Slip Op 01405. CtApp 3-13-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for an explanation of the criteria for a valid misdemeanor complaint, versus a misdemeanor information.

 

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WHERE A DEFENDANT IS AN “ELIGIBLE YOUTH,” THE SENTENCING COURT MUST CONSIDER YOUTHFUL OFFENDER TREATMENT; IF THE RECORD IS SILENT ON THE ISSUE, THE SENTENCE WILL BE VACATED AND THE MATTER REMITTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, vacating defendant’s sentence and remitting the matter, determined defendant was an “eligible youth” but the record was silent about whether the court considered youthful offender treatment:

“Criminal Procedure Law § 720.20(1) requires a court to make a youthful offender determination in every case where the defendant is eligible, even where the defendant fails to request it, or agrees to forego it as part of a plea bargain” … . “Where a defendant is an eligible youth, the determination of whether to afford him or her youthful offender treatment must be explicitly made on the record” … . Here, even though the defendant was an eligible youth, the record does not demonstrate that the Supreme Court made such a determination. Accordingly, the defendant’s sentence must be vacated and the matter remitted to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for resentencing after a determination as to whether the defendant should be afforded youthful offender treatment … . People v Suckoo, 2025 NY Slip Op 01396, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: If the record does not reflect that the court considered youthful offender treatment for an “eligible youth,” the sentence will be vacated.​

 

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