BOMASUTO v. Perlman

680 F. Supp. 2d 449, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4413, 2010 WL 271262
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 19, 2010
Docket05-CV-6490 (VEB)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 680 F. Supp. 2d 449 (BOMASUTO v. Perlman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
BOMASUTO v. Perlman, 680 F. Supp. 2d 449, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4413, 2010 WL 271262 (W.D.N.Y. 2010).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

VICTOR E. BIANCHINI, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. Introduction

Pro se petitioner Angelo R. Bomasuto (“Bomasuto” or “petitioner”) has filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. He challenges the constitutionality of his state custody pursuant to a judgment of conviction, following a guilty plea, entered on May 13, 2002, in *451 Chautauqua County Court, New York State Supreme Court, convicting him of Burglary in the Second Degree. Bomasuto was adjudicated and sentenced as a second felony offender to a determinate term of 8 years and 5 years post-release supervision on the burglary conviction, and an indeterminate term of from 1 to 3 years imprisonment on the larceny conviction. These sentences were sent to run concurrently. Based upon the NYSDOCS inmate locator service, it appears that Bomasuto’s aggregate minimum sentence was 6 years, 10 months, and 8 days, and his aggregate maximum was 8 years. Bomasuto’s first parole hearing apparently was on May 28, 2008. He was received at Livingston Correctional Facility on July 1, 2008, and had another parole hearing (“parole violator assessed expiration”) in March 2009. This implies that Bomasuto was released in 2008 and returned on a parole violation, and subsequently released on May 29, 2009, under the custody of the parole division. Bomasuto is currently serving his term of post-release supervision. The maximum expiration date for this post-release supervision term is May 28, 2014, according to the New York State Department of Corrections Services website.

The parties have consented to disposition of this matter by a magistrate judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1). For the reasons that follow, the petition is dismissed.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. The Plea and Sentencing

The underlying conviction stems from allegations that on the evening of July 6, 2001, in the Village of Fredonia, petitioner entered the home of his cousins, Peter and Ann Eckman, while they were away, and stole a handgun, items of jewelry, and a milk jug full of coins. The items stolen were valued at over $15,000. Bomasuto exchanged the stolen property for drugs to support his addition. He later admitted his wrongdoing to the victims and signed a written confession.

On September 17, 2001, Bomasuto was indicted in Chautauqua County Court on one count each of second degree burglary larceny (New York Penal Law (“P.L.”) § 140.25) and third degree grand (P.L. § 155.35).

During arraignment, the prosecutor advised the trial court that Bomasuto had additional criminal charges outstanding against him, including a pending burglary charge in Erie County. The trial court was also advised of petitioner’s “several out-of-state [prior] felony convictions.”

At a pre-trial conference, the Chautauqua County prosecutor offered petitioner the opportunity to plead guilty in full satisfaction of the indictment and to be sentenced, as a second felony offender, in return for a sentence promise by the trial court that petitioner would receive a determinate sentence of 5 years imprisonment and 5 years post-release supervision on the burglary charge, and 1 to 3 years imprisonment on the grand larceny charge. These sentences were to run concurrently with each other and concurrently with a sentence anticipated to be imposed in Erie County Court on an unrelated charge of second-degree burglary. 1

On December 10, 2001, Bomasuto appeared with trial counsel before Judge Ward in Chautauqua County Court and entered a guilty plea to the indictment pursuant to the above-described terms. During the colloquy with the trial judge, Bomasuto acknowledged that he had dis *452 cussed the terms of the plea with his counsel. He agreed that he was waiving his right to a jury trial and to not incriminate himself. Bomasuto admitted that he knowingly entered his cousins’ residence with the intent to commit a crime, and that he stole property valued at over $3,000, including a handgun, jewelry and coins.

At the sentencing hearing on February 19, 2002, the trial court permitted the crime victims to speak. One victim, Mr. Eckman, stated that the family continued to feel the effects of the crime and that “[fit’s been a very difficult time,” and explained that his family was concerned because petitioner had admitted to owning two handguns, petitioner was Mrs. Eckman’s cousin, and that the family could have returned home while petitioner was burglarizing their home, and the crime could have turned violent. The victim asked the court to consider having petitioner’s sentences on on the Chautauqua County convictions run consecutively to the sentences to be imposed with regard to the unrelated Erie County crimes.

In response to the victim’s comments, the trial judge observed that his own home had been burglarized while his wife was home and shared the following:

The same thing happened to my home when my wife was home and I wasn’t. I know to some extent what you are going through. It never leaves you, the sense of vulnerability.
People who commit these crimes don’t realize the extent of the damage they do to the victims. Even supposedly nonviolent crimes where no is injured, you are injured. You are emotionally injured.

Exhibit O, p. 5. The judge then stated:

[Petitioner] is scheduled for sentencing today. And the victims obviously have concern about the sentence that was agreed upon and are not in agreement with it, which is not what I was led to believe at the time of the plea, which is not a reflection on the district attorney at all. But in light of their comments, and in light of them request, I need additional time to consider the sentence. I know, [petitioner’s counsel], you would ask me to enforce the agreement that was given at the time, made at the time and give him the five years concurrent.

Exhibit O, p. 6. Petitioner’s counsel urged the trial court to impose the promised sentence, and argued that Bomasuto had detrimentally relied upon the Chautauqua County Court’s sentence promise, asserting that the decision to accept the Erie County plea bargain “was in some part at least” based on the plea agreement discussed in the instant matter. Exhibit O, p. 6. The court adjourned the matter to April 15, 2002, “at which time I will decide whether to give him the five year determinate which was agreed upon or permit him to withdraw his plea.” Exhibit O, p. 7.

Respondent indicates that a pre-sentencing conference was held on April 15, 2002; although a “Court Worksheet” was completed by the judge’s deputy summarizing what occurred, the proceedings unfortunately were not transcribed or made a part of the appellate record. The Court Worksheet reflects that the trial judge, the prosecutor and petitioner’s counsel attended the conference, but there is no indication as to whether petitioner was present. See Respondent’s Exhibit J.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
680 F. Supp. 2d 449, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4413, 2010 WL 271262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bomasuto-v-perlman-nywd-2010.