People ex rel. Allen v. Warden of George Motcham Detention Center

39 Misc. 3d 546
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 7, 2013
StatusPublished

This text of 39 Misc. 3d 546 (People ex rel. Allen v. Warden of George Motcham Detention Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People ex rel. Allen v. Warden of George Motcham Detention Center, 39 Misc. 3d 546 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Nicholas Iacovetta, J.

The petitioner moves for vacatur of the parole warrant and restoration of the petitioner to parole supervision on the grounds that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision failed to provide the petitioner with the notice of violation within the three-day statutory time limit, and that the Department failed to provide the petitioner with a preliminary hearing within the 15-day statutory time limit. Petitioner’s motion is denied on both grounds.

Background

On May 1, 2010, petitioner was sentenced to two years’ incarceration plus three years of postrelease supervision for his conviction of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. He was released to parole supervision on September 18, 2012, at which time he signed a certificate of release to parole supervision wherein petitioner agreed to several conditions of release, including that within 24 hours of his release he will present himself to the Staten Island parole office at 146 Bay Street, Staten Island, New York to make his arrival report. The certificate of release also identified his approved residence as Harmony House in Brooklyn, New York. Petitioner’s parole supervision was scheduled to expire on January 10, 2015 (see affirmation in opposition, exhibit A).

On October 1, 2012, a violation of release report was prepared declaring petitioner delinquent as of September 19, 2012. According to the Department, petitioner violated rule 1 of his conditional release by never making his arrival report to the Staten Island parole office, he violated rule 2 by failing to make his weekly reports to the Staten Island parole office, and he violated rule 4 by changing his approved residence at Harmony House without knowledge or permission of his parole officer. A [549]*549warrant for his arrest was issued, on that same date, October 1, 2012 (see affirmation in opposition, exhibit B).

On October 23, 2012, petitioner was rearrested by the New York City Transit Police and charged in a misdemeanor complaint in New York County Criminal Court with the charges of theft of services (Penal Law § 165.15), a class A misdemeanor, and loitering (Penal Law § 240.35), a violation. He pleaded guilty on October 24, 2012 to Rules Governing the Conduct and Safety of the Public in the Use of the Facilities of New York City Transit Authority and Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (21 NYCRR) § 1050.6, a violation, and received a sentence of 10 days’ incarceration.

The parole warrant was lodged against the petitioner on October 29, 2012. The petitioner was served with the notice of violation on November 9, 2012, and the preliminary hearing was conducted on November 26, 2012.

I. Petitioner’s conviction of a violation does not constitute “a new crime” which would obviate his right to a preliminary hearing.

Executive Law § 259-i (3) (c) (iii) directs that a releasee violater “shall, within three days of the execution of the warrant, be given written notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing.” The purpose of this statute is to ensure the releasee is notified of the violations charged against him within a sufficient time to investigate and prepare a defense for the preliminary hearing.

Executive Law § 259-i (3) (c) (i) directs,

“Within fifteen days after the warrant for retaking and temporary detention has been executed, unless the releasee has been convicted of a new crime committed while under the presumptive release, parole, conditional release or post-release supervision, the board of parole shall afford the alleged presumptive release, parole, conditional release or post-release supervision violator a preliminary revocation hearing.” (Emphasis added.)

The standard of proof at a preliminary hearing “shall be probable cause to believe that the . . . person under post-release supervision has violated one or more conditions of his . . . post-release supervision in an important respect. Proof of conviction of a crime committed while under supervision shall constitute probable cause for the purposes of this section” (Executive Law § 259-i [3] [c] [iv] [emphasis added]).

[550]*550Accordingly, since any defendant who is convicted of a new crime while on parole has no right to a preliminary hearing, the claims that he was not served with a copy of the notice of violation, or that the preliminary hearing was not conducted within the statutory time periods would be of no consequence (see People ex rel. Walker v Bradford, 269 AD2d 316 [1st Dept 2000]; People ex rel. Johnson v Russi, 258 AD2d 346 [1st Dept 1999], lv denied 93 NY2d 945 [1999]; People ex rel. Pino v Amacucci, 300 AD2d 607 [2d Dept 2002], lv denied 99 NY2d 551 [2003]).

In this case, however, petitioner was convicted on October 24, 2012, of Rules of New York City Transit Authority (21 NYCRR) § 1050.6, a violation, not a crime. A “crime” is defined as a misdemeanor or a felony (Penal Law § 10.00 [6]). Since petitioner’s conviction for the violation does not obviate his right to a preliminary hearing, the court must consider whether petitioner’s claims that the Department failed to provide the petitioner with the notice of violation within the three-day statutory time limit, and that the Department failed to provide the petitioner with a preliminary hearing within the 15-day statutory time limit have any merit.

II. The parole warrant was timely executed and did not violate petitioner’s constitutional right to due process.

There is no statutory requirement that a parole warrant be executed within a certain number of days after a defendant is rearrested. Absent a demonstration that “respondent manifested a gross disinterest in retaking” petitioner, so long as the warrant is executed prior to the expiration date of a defendant’s underlying sentence, the execution of the warrant is deemed timely (see People ex rel. Cross v New York State Div. of Parole, 261 AD2d 108, 108 [1st Dept 1999]).

Petitioner’s parole supervision was to expire on January 10, 2015. The parole warrant was issued October 1, 2012, within two weeks of petitioner’s violation of the conditions of his parole. Petitioner was rearrested on October 23, 2012, sentenced pursuant to his conviction to 10 days’ incarceration on October 24, 2012, and the parole warrant was lodged against the petitioner on October 29, 2012. Since the warrant was executed within six days of petitioner’s rearrest, and approximately three years before the expiration of petitioner’s supervision, there is no evidence of “gross disinterest” by the Department. The parole warrant was timely executed.

III. Petitioner’s motion for vacatur of the parole warrant and restoration of the petitioner to parole supervision on the ground [551]*551that the Department failed to serve petitioner with notice of violation within three days of execution of warrant is denied for the following three reasons:

A. Failure to serve petitioner with notice of violation within three days of execution of warrant does not entitle petitioner to be restored to parole supervision.

Executive Law § 259-i (3) (c) (iii) directs that a releasee violator “shall, within three days of the execution of the warrant, be given written notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing.”

In Morrissey v Brewer

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 Misc. 3d 546, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-allen-v-warden-of-george-motcham-detention-center-nysupct-2013.