People v. Bohlman

30 Misc. 3d 313
CourtNew York District Court
DecidedNovember 1, 2010
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 30 Misc. 3d 313 (People v. Bohlman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Bohlman, 30 Misc. 3d 313 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2010).

Opinion

[314]*314OPINION OF THE COURT

Rhonda E. Fischer, J.

This case presents the court with a repetitive issue confronting domestic violence parts in the courts. The complaining witness/victim of domestic violence now wishes to recant her testimony. The recantations are the product of many imperatives, not all of which serve the interests of the victim or justice.

Defendant’s motion for an order, pursuant to CPL 410.20 (1), modifying the condition of probation as to participation in continued therapy and treatment for domestic violence, and for an order vacating and/or modifying the herein order of protection of this court dated February 3, 2010, is denied in its entirety.

Defense counsel moves postconviction and postsentencing for the above relief on three separate dockets after defendant, in a negotiated plea, was convicted and sentenced to 45 days in jail, three years of probation and a “stay away” order of protection in favor of complainant, Alana Dalessio. More specifically, the defendant in this case pleaded guilty to one count of stalking in the fourth degree, Penal Law § 120.45 (2), and one count of criminal contempt in the second degree, Penal Law § 215.50 (3), while a count of aggravated harassment in the second degree, Penal Law § 240.30 (1), was dismissed in satisfaction.

This court will first address the issue of the modification of a condition of probation. Specifically, the defendant was directed to attend a batterer intervention treatment program. Defense counsel offers no support for this relief, no authority and no change of circumstance, other than the complaining witness in her affidavit making a conclusory statement that she requested the defendant not be required to continue counseling because she believes he does not need it. Under the circumstances presented on the instant motion, the court will not modify the condition of probation requiring therapy and treatment for domestic violence. This court finds such therapy an appropriate part of the sentence and/or condition of probation. Therefore, this branch of the motion is denied.

Turning to the branch of the defendant’s motion for an order vacating and/or modifying the order of protection, defendant’s counsel, in support of the motion, presents the affidavit of the complainant Alana Dalessio who avers, in pertinent part, as follows:

“3. On or about February 8, 2010, an order of [315]*315protection was issued in my favor and against Greg Bohlman. At that time I had not been contacted by the District Attorney’s office and if I had been contacted, I would have told them that I did not require such an order of protection. I had previously informed the District Attorney’s Office that I did not want to pursue this case.
“4. I have since attempted to have said order of protection removed. I went to the District Attorney’s office at 99 Main Street, 3rd floor, Hempstead, NY, and was told that the case had to be brought before the Court.
“5.1 do not want an order of protection in my favor and against Greg Bohlman.
“6. I was the complaining witness against Mr. Bohlman because he was my prior boy friend and he would not stop contacting me and telling me how much he loved me. He did not physically threaten me. At that time, I just wanted him to stop contacting me.
“7. At this time, Mr. Bohlman does not present a threat to me. He and I wish to be able to converse, and communicate with each other. Having an order of protection prevents our ability to associate with each other. For that reason, I request that the order of protection be vacated.
“8.1 also request that he not be required to continue the domestic violence counseling that he has been ordered to attend by his probation officer. I do not believe he is a physical threat to me and do not believe he requires such counseling.
“9. I would be happy to appear before this Court with regard to the issues discussed herein.”

Defendant’s attorney again cites no cases in support of such a vacatur or modification of the order of protection. “We recognize that the issuance of an order of protection ‘incident to a criminal proceeding is an ameliorative measure intended to safeguard the rights of victims and witnesses both prior to and after conviction — it is not part of the sentence imposed’ ” (People v Hull, 52 AD3d 962, 963 [3d Dept 2008], quoting People v Nieves, 2 NY3d 310, 316 [2004]). The Hull Court permitted modification of the order of protection in regard to defendant’s biological children, who were not the subject of his conviction for downloading pornographic videos of children. The Hull [316]*316Court reasoned that, since the order of protection was imposed sua sponte, not requested by the People, and was not part of the negotiated plea, it was in the interest of justice to modify the order of protection as to defendant’s 15- and 16-year-old biological children so that the order expired on their 18th birthdays.

In opposing this branch of the motion, the People present a different picture of the relationship between the defendant and the complainant. According to complainant Alana Dalessio’s supporting deposition, dated April 10, 2009, she stated, in pertinent part, as follows:

“Greg and I broke up over a year ago, around March 2008. After we had broken up, Greg had been calling me, texting me, and sending me letters despite my repeated demands and requests he stop all contact with me. I filed a police report on October 13, 2008 because Greg just wouldn’t stop contacting me and I was becoming really frightened. Greg had been physically abusive to me during our on-and-off six year relationship. Some of the things Greg has done has been to hit me with a bag of items he had bought me, causing a black eye and requiring two stitches, he broke my car window, he burnt my hand with a lit cigarette, he choked me about three times, putting his hands around my neck and squeezing causing me to fear for my life, he slammed my head into his car window. There’s been a lot more abuse over the years. When I’ve tried to break up with him before, he threatened me with [a] knife threatening to kill me if I broke up with him. Another time I tried to break up with him, he threatened to kill himself while holding a razor to his wrist. Greg was tackled by a friend, the razor was taken away, and I drove him to the hospital. Greg’s repeated unwanted letters, text messages, and phone calls made me realize he would never stop and I didn’t know what Greg would do next. I received a call from Detective Monahan on October 14, 2008 and she said she was investigating my case and was going to call Greg. A little while later I received a text message from Greg’s cell phone, ‘Wow. Thanks. Goodbye.’ I called Det. Monahan and told her this. Det. Monahan called me later that night and told me she spoke to Greg and told him not to contact me any further in any way and that he was frightening me. After October 14, 2008, I continued to [317]*317receive numerous letters from Greg, professing his love and wanting to get back together. I was really afraid and began looking over my shoulder wherever I went, always afraid Greg would be there and he would hurt me or kill me, as he threatened to do in the past. On November 19, 2008 I went to Nassau County Family Court and received the Order of Protection against Greg.

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Related

People v. Munger
53 Misc. 3d 791 (Glens Falls City Court, 2016)
People v. Lassitter
50 Misc. 3d 264 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 2015)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 Misc. 3d 313, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-bohlman-nydistct-2010.