People ex rel. Sinclair v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional Center

152 Misc. 2d 928, 579 N.Y.S.2d 981, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 752
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 19, 1991
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 152 Misc. 2d 928 (People ex rel. Sinclair v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional 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. Sinclair v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional Center, 152 Misc. 2d 928, 579 N.Y.S.2d 981, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 752 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

[929]*929OPINION OF THE COURT

Martin Marcus, J.

In this case, an Administrative Law Judge adjourned the petitioner’s parole revocation hearing for more than IV2 months because the petitioner’s attorney failed to appear on the day the hearing was scheduled to occur. In the absence of his attorney, the petitioner sought to waive his right to counsel at the hearing and to proceed in the attorney’s absence. He now brings a writ of habeas corpus claiming that this adjournment, which was ordered over the petitioner’s strenuous and repeated objections, violated his right to a timely parole revocation by delaying the hearing more than 90 days after his preliminary hearing. Because I find that the petitioner had a right to proceed without counsel at the hearing, and consequently that he has failed to receive a timely final revocation hearing, his petition must be granted.1

The petitioner was convicted of attempted robbery in the second degree and sentenced to 2 Vi to 5 years’ imprisonment. He was released to parole supervision on April 11, 1989, with his term of parole due to expire July 29, 1993. On April 30, 1991, following his arrest for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a parole violation warrant was lodged against him. The petitioner was charged with, inter alla, having given his parole officer a forged document falsely indicating that the pending drug charge had been dismissed. A parole warrant was lodged against the petitioner on April 11, 1991, and a preliminary revocation hearing was held on May 6, 1991.

Subsequently, the petitioner filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, alleging that he had not been afforded a final revocation hearing within 90 days. His petition was denied in an order issued by the Honorable James E. Robinson, who determined that as of August 16, 1991, only 79 days were chargeable to the Division of Parole.

The final revocation hearing was scheduled for August 16, 1991, but when the petitioner was not produced that day, it was adjourned until September 9, 1991. On September 9, the [930]*930petitioner was produced and the Division of Parole was ready to proceed, but the petitioner’s attorney failed to appear. Although the petitioner sought to waive his attorney’s presence for the hearing, the Administrative Law Judge nonetheless adjourned it again, to October 28, 1991.

Now he brings this new petition. He claims that the adjournments on August 16 and September 9, 1991, should be charged to the Division and that, when added to the previously determined period of delay, constitute a denial of his right to a final revocation hearing within 90 days of his preliminary hearing, as required by Executive Law § 259-i (3) (f) (i). Section 259-i (3) (f) (i) allows an extension of the 90-day time limit only "if an alleged violator requests and receives any postponement of his revocation hearing, or consents to a postponed revocation proceeding initiated by the board, or if an alleged violator, by his actions otherwise precludes the prompt conduct of such proceedings”. The petitioner maintains that none of these exceptions are applicable to either adjournment.

A copy of the Department of Correction "Undelivered Defendant” form submitted by the respondents states that on August 16, 1991, "Inmate was involved in an altercation with unknown inmate — Seen in clinic. But due to escape on Hikers transportation was unavailable.” While the petitioner does not dispute the explanation presented on the form, he nonetheless asserts that the resulting adjournment was not at his request, with his consent, or caused by his action.

A parolee "is in a place 'subject to the convenience and practical control’ of the Division of Parole when he is in the custody of a correctional facility as an inmate with which the Parole Board has parole jurisdiction” (People ex rel. Brown v New York State Div. of Parole, 70 NY2d 391, 398-399 [1987], supra). However, not every failure of the Department of Correction to produce an individual should be charged to the Division of Parole. (Supra, at 399; see also, People ex rel. Diamond v Flood, 100 AD2d 604, 605 [2d Dept 1984].) For instance, a parolee cannot "intentionally obtain[] an adjournment of a court date so that the new date conflicts with a scheduled parole hearing”, and then complain because he is transported to his court appearance rather than to a parole hearing. (People ex rel. Brown v New York State Div. of Parole, 70 NY2d, at 399.) Here the defendant’s production on the day set for his hearing was first delayed by his participation in an altercation with another inmate, and then pre[931]*931vented altogether by the escape of another inmate. Since the delay was occasioned in the first instance by his own actions, it falls within the statutory exceptions and is not chargeable to the Board.

The September 9 adjournment, however, while prompted by a concern for the defendant’s right to counsel, was nonetheless ordered without his request or consent, and was not the result of his own conduct. The minutes of the proceedings of September 9, 1991, indicate that when the petitioner’s attorney failed to appear for the hearing, the Administrative Judge announced his intention to adjourn it for a second time. The petitioner then asked to whom the adjournment would be charged. The Administrative Judge replied that the petitioner would be charged — and not the Board — because it was the petitioner’s attorney who was absent. The following colloquy then took place between them:

"the petitioner: I’m willing to proceed right now without an attorney.
"the judge: Without your attorney, I won’t let you, on the grounds that — the simple grounds that he hasn’t shown up and we don’t know (inaudible).
"the petitioner: But I can proceed on my own.
"the judge: I asked you before if you were represented by counsel, and you told me that you were. Now, if you wish to proceed on your own, simply as an expeditious thing because you’re tired of waiting, that is not a legal reason that I’m willing to grant.
"the petitioner: Cause I didn’t fully understand when you asked was I represented. I have an attorney but right now I don’t feel I need her, that I can go through this proceeding without her.
"the judge: You owe two years, four months and 27 days?
"the petitioner: Yes.
"the judge: I won’t proceed without a lawyer. You’ve got too much at stake.
"the petitioner: I don’t need her. I don’t want her. She’s fired. I don’t want my attorney any more. I want this thing today.”

Faced with the petitioner’s insistence on proceeding, the Administrative Law Judge then began an inquiry seemingly designed to determine whether or not the petitioner was capable of waiving his right to counsel knowingly and intelligently:

[932]*932"the judge: How far did you go in school, Mr. Sinclair?
"the petitioner: I finished.
"the judge: What did you finish?
"the petitioner: High school. I got my GED and I took my college courses.

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Bluebook (online)
152 Misc. 2d 928, 579 N.Y.S.2d 981, 1991 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 752, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-sinclair-v-warden-rikers-island-correctional-center-nysupct-1991.