People v. Brazeal

CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 23, 2026
Docket45
StatusPublished
AuthorHalligan

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

Bluebook
People v. Brazeal, (N.Y. 2026).

Opinion

People v Brazeal - 2026 NY Slip Op 03910
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Law Reporting
Bureau
Thomas J.K. Smith, State Reporter

People v Brazeal

2026 NY Slip Op 03910

June 23, 2026

Court of Appeals

Halligan, J.

Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.

This decision is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.

The People & c., Respondent,

v

Jarelle Brazeal, Appellant.

Miguelina Lora, Appellant.

Decided on June 23, 2026

No. 45

No. 45:

Tammy E. Linn, for appellant.

Michael Bierce, for respondent.

District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, amicus curiae.

No. 46:

Naila S. Siddiqui, for appellant.

Charles T. Pollak, for respondent.

District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, amicus curiae.

[*1]

In People v Brazeal (Jarelle), No. 45:

Order modified by striking the Box 28 search condition from defendant's probationary term and, as so modified, affirmed. Chief Judge Wilson and Judges Rivera, Cannataro and Halligan concur, Judge Halligan in an opinion in [*2]which Chief Judge Wilson and Judge Cannataro concur and Judge Rivera in a separate concurring opinion. Judge Troutman dissents and votes to affirm in an opinion, in which Judges Garcia and Singas concur.

Decided June 23, 2026

In People v Lora (Miguelina), No. 46:

Order affirmed. Opinion by Judge Halligan. Judges Garcia, Singas, Cannataro and Troutman concur. Judge Rivera dissents in an opinion, in which Chief Judge Wilson concurs.

When a court sentences a defendant to a term of probation, it may impose conditions that "the court, in its discretion, deems reasonably necessary to insure that the defendant will lead a law-abiding life or to assist [them] to do so" (Penal Law § 65.10 [1]). One example is a consent-to-search condition, whereby a probationer agrees to submit to searches by probation officers. As with all probation conditions, it is permissible only if tailored to the defendant's underlying conviction and individual circumstances.

In this pair of cases, both defendants argue that the consent-to-search provision imposed as a condition of probation was not reasonably related to the specifics of their cases. In People v Brazeal, we agree that it was not, because while the defendant was convicted of a crime of violence, he had no record of weapons possession, minimal criminal history, and no history of substance abuse problems. We decline to reach the merits of the defendant's challenge in People v Lora because it was unpreserved for our review.

[*3]I.

People v Brazeal

Defendant Jarelle Brazeal was arrested following a domestic altercation in which he stabbed his husband in the chest with a kitchen knife. He was indicted on charges of attempted murder in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110, 125.25 [1]), assault in the first degree (id. § 120.10 [1]), assault in the second degree (id. § 120.05 [2]), assault in the third degree (id. § 120.00 [1]), and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (id. § 265.01 [2]). Brazeal pleaded guilty to attempted assault in the second degree in full satisfaction of the indictment and executed an appeal waiver. In exchange, the People recommended a sentence of five years' probation, an order of protection in the complainant's favor, and participation in the 26-week Abusive Partner Intervention Program (APIP).

Although Brazeal admitted to occasional marijuana use in the past, the record indicates that no further assessment was needed for mental health and substance abuse. Brazeal was adjudicated a youthful offender in 2007 on an assault charge and was separately convicted of a 2009 harassment violation in New York. The record also indicates that he had 2013 misdemeanor property damage conviction in Las Vegas and a 2014 warrant for failure to appear in Atlanta FN1. The Department of Probation concurred with the Court's promise of probation and APIP for the defendant, but also requested that, due to the violent nature of the offense, Box 28 (consent to warrantless search) on the Conditions of Probation be checked off and Brazeal be required to comply with any programs or referrals proposed by the Department.

At sentencing, defense counsel objected to imposition of the consent-to-search condition, noting that this was not "a gun case where that Box 28 request is typically done," that Brazeal pleaded guilty to attempted assault, and that the weapon alleged was "a common household knife." Although the People initially supported imposition of the condition, later in the hearing the prosecutor stated that they took no position on the issue. The court imposed the condition due to "the violent nature of th[e] offense" and because of Brazeal's criminal record, which included "out-of-state contacts" that "also involve[d] violence."

The Appellate Division affirmed (see 235 AD3d 890 [2d Dept 2025]). The Court concluded that Brazeal's challenge to the consent-to-search provision survived his appeal waiver, a point that the People did not contest (see id. at 892). The Court held that the condition had been properly imposed because Brazeal "used a weapon during the underlying offense" and had a "history of violence" (id. [internal quotation marks omitted]). The Court also rejected Brazeal's argument that the condition was improper because he did not specifically consent to it as part of his plea agreement (see id.). A Judge of this Court granted Brazeal leave to appeal (see 43 NY3d 1044 [2025]).

People v Lora

Defendant Miguelina Lora swiped a parked vehicle with her boyfriend's truck, exited, stumbled around, then reentered the truck and drove away. Responding officers discovered her asleep in the driver's seat a short distance from the crash site. Upon waking her, the officers observed Lora to have bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, a strong odor of alcohol on her breath, and unsteady balance upon exiting the vehicle. At the time of her arrest, Lora admitted to having consumed alcohol, and officers discovered a half empty bottle of brandy in the front seat of the truck. A breathalyzer reading showed that at that time Lora's blood alcohol content (BAC) was .279%. She did not present a license. A record search indicated that her license was at that time revoked and had previously been suspended 22 times. Lora was indicted on a range of charges, including aggravated driving while intoxicated (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [2-a]), two counts of driving while intoxicated (id. § 1192 [2], [3]), two counts of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree (id. § 511 [3] [a] [i]-[ii]), and one count of operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device (id. § 1198 [9]).

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People v. Brazeal
New York Court of Appeals, 2026

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People v. Brazeal, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-brazeal-ny-2026.