People ex rel. Small v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional Facility

38 Misc. 3d 764
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 18, 2012
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 38 Misc. 3d 764 (People ex rel. Small v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional Facility) 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. Small v. Warden, Rikers Island Correctional Facility, 38 Misc. 3d 764 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Dominic R. Massaro, J.

This is a special proceeding, whereby petitioner Denmark Small (hereinafter petitioner) seeks a habeas corpus writ ordering his release from respondents’ custody upon grounds that his final parole revocation hearing was not conducted in a timely fashion as required by Executive Law § 259-i (3) (f).

In this regard, petitioner says his constitutional (US Const Amend VI) and statutory (Executive Law § 259-i [3] [f] [iii]) rights to be served written notice of a final hearing, which must contain all charges that the New York State Division of Parole (hereinafter Parole) intends to bring against him and be served at least 14 days in advance of the final hearing (Executive Law § 259-i [3] [f] [iii]), were violated. Here, petitioner says his constitutional rights were violated when he received only 10 days’ notice of the final hearing date listed on the notice of violation (exhibit H), thereby depriving him of due process (US Const, Amend XIY § 1). On the other hand, respondents oppose the writ petition, arguing instead that petitioner’s claims are without merit in that his final hearing, in fact, was not held earlier than 14 days after the preliminary hearing waiver. Further, Parole notes that petitioner received adequate notice of the charges against him. Finally, because petitioner demanded adjournment of the parole revocation case to the “K-calendar,”1 90 days have not elapsed since petitioner waived his prelimi[766]*766nary hearing which was to decide the issue of probable cause. Therefore, petitioner’s claim for relief is premature.

Petitioner’s Hearing Objections

Petitioner wants the court to compel the Warden and Parole to vacate the pending warrant and cancel any pending parole delinquencies. Petitioner objects to Parole charging him with three violations contained in the violation of parole report (exhibit C), two of which occurred on July 5, 2012, when petitioner tested positive for marijuana use while on parole. Specifically, Parole charged petitioner with (1) using marijuana without proper medical authorization (violation of condition of release No. 11); (2) failing to attend substance abuse treatment at the Center for Community Alternatives without permission (violation of condition of release No. 12); and (3) failing to report to his parole officer on August 2, 2012 (violation of condition of release No. 12) (exhibit C).

On August 27, 2012, Parole issued a supplemental violation of parole report (exhibit E) adding an additional charge, that is, petitioner violated condition of release No. 4 when he left his approved residence in Brooklyn without notifying his parole officer of his new residence. Ironically, on the same day, petitioner was arrested for assault in the first degree (Penal Law § 120.10), attempted murder of Quintell Gannaway in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 125.25), and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (Penal Law § 265.01) (exhibit F).2

The arrests caused Parole to issue a second supplemental violation of parole report (exhibit G) charging petitioner with (1) intentional shooting of Gannaway (violation of condition of release No. 8); (2) possessing a loaded firearm capable of causing injury or death (violation of condition of release No. 9); (3) threatening Gannaway’s safety (violation of condition of release No. 8); and (4) firing a loaded gun at Gannaway (violation of condition of release No. ,8). Petitioner acknowledged service of the notice on August 30, 2012, and conceded he waived a preliminary hearing intended to determine probable cause in the parole revocation matter (exhibit H).

As previously stated, petitioner is statutorily entitled to 14 days’ notice of the charges against him before the final parole revocation hearing can be held (see Executive Law § 259-i [3] [f] [767]*767[iii]). Further, petitioner says the sole remedy for any such violation is vacatur of the parole warrant and reinstatement to parole (see generally People ex rel. Johnson v New York State Bd. of Parole, 71 AD2d 595 [1st Dept 1979]). Finally, petitioner argues the proceeding must be vacated because he was entitled not only to timely notice but also to “informative notice” detailing the charges against him (see generally People ex rel. Levy v Walters, 87 AD2d 620 [2d Dept 1982]).

Petitioner admits receiving a notice of violation (exhibit H) and violation of release reports (exhibits C, E, G) on August 30, 2012. As can be seen from inspection of the notice of violation, petitioner waived his preliminary hearing and the final hearing on the form was scheduled for September 10, 2012, which petitioner says violates Executive Law § 259-i (3) (f) (iii)’s requirement that counsel and petitioner have two weeks’ notice of the final hearing.

Parole’s Position

Parole says petitioner had adequate notice of the final parole revocation hearing’s date as required under Executive Law § 259-i (3) (f) (iii).3 While an argument may exist that the initial date of the final hearing was outside the statutory period requirement, Parole says any defect was cured when the hearing officer adjourned the final hearing to September 26, 2012. Further, petitioner’s writ is premature because the final hearing has not occurred and is now scheduled for December 5, 2012. In effect, Parole says, petitioner suffered no prejudice from the rescheduling since there is no evidence that any part of the hearing was held on the original date.

Legal Discussion

The court denies petitioner’s request for habeas corpus relief here. This is because the court finds that Parole violated neither the 14-day nor 90-day chronological requirements regarding holding the final parole revocation hearing (see Executive Law § 259-i [3] [f]). The court finds petitioner waived both chronological requirements because the final parole revocation hearing was in fact not conducted earlier than 14 days after the determination of probable cause as calculated from when [768]*768petitioner waived his preliminary hearing. Further, no evidence exists that the final revocation hearing will be completed and chargeable to Parole to the extent that more than 90 days are chargeable against Parole from the date probable cause was determined. In essence, the court can only determine that petitioner’s relief is premature.

No 14-Day Violation

Because the final parole revocation hearing was scheduled to be held at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility, the court finds that the adjournment from September 10, 2012 request was properly made before a hearing officer at the scheduled hearing site on the day of the hearing (see 9 NYCRR 8005.17 [c] [2] [ii]). Based upon facts presented here, the court rejects any inference that the final parole revocation hearing began on September 10, 2012, and rejects petitioner’s claim that Parole violated Executive Law § 259-i (3) (f) (iii) by holding the hearing too early. Further, petitioner lacked any evidence that he lacked adequate, timely notice of the charges against him.

No 90-Day Violation

As a general rule, a final revocation hearing must be held within 90 days of the probable cause determination (see Executive Law § 259-i [3] [fj [i]).4 Where a preliminary hearing is waived, the 90-day period for final revocation is calculated from the waiver date (see People ex rel. Gray v Campbell,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
38 Misc. 3d 764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-small-v-warden-rikers-island-correctional-facility-nysupct-2012.