People v. Dimmie

42 Misc. 2d 521, 248 N.Y.S.2d 377, 1964 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2077
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedFebruary 18, 1964
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 42 Misc. 2d 521 (People v. Dimmie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Dimmie, 42 Misc. 2d 521, 248 N.Y.S.2d 377, 1964 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2077 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1964).

Opinion

John H. Galloway, Jr., J.

The People move to dismiss the appeal herein to this court upon the ground that defendant-appellant failed to file a timely affidavit of errors thereon. Defendant was convicted on January 4, 1963, in the Court of Special Sessions of the City of White Plains before Babnes, J., without a jury, of a violation of section 1140 of the Penal Law (indecent exposure). On February 5, 1963, or 32 days after said conviction defendant filed with the Clerk of the Court of Special Sessions a notice of appeal and a purported affidavit of errors. (The People contend that the affidavit of errors was not an affidavit since it was not sworn to and subscribed by defendant or his attorney.)

The People urge that the appeal was not timely taken, having not been filed within 30 days after judgment with the Clerk of the court below, and that it was not taken by filing an affidavit of errors as required by section 751 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Defendant states that on February 1, 1963 by certified mail he mailed to the Clerk of the trial court the notice of appeal and his assignment of errors. Both papers are dated February 1,1963. There is indorsed on the notice of appeal over the name of the Clerk of the City Court — “ Filed Feb. 5th, 1963 — 9:15 a.m.” The assignment of errors is not SAVorn to and subscribed by defendant or his attorney. Defendant urges that the transmittal of these papers to the Clerk of the trial court as above stated by certified mail on February 1,1963, 27 days after judgment, constituted timely filing thereof with the Clerk of the court in compliance with section 751, and section 515 et seq. of the Code of Criminal Procedure, although the lower court’s records show that the papers Avere not received and filed until February 5, 1963, 32 days after judgment.

Defendant’s counsel, in his affidavit and memorandum of law, seeks to rationalize his failure to file the required affidavit of errors within 30 days from entry of the judgment of conviction by contending: (1) That pursuant to section 521 of the Code of Criminal Procedure the appeal must and may be taken Avithin 30 days after judgment or service of a copy of the order with notice of entry thereof; that no copy of the judgment with notice of entry has been served on defendant or his attorney, and therefore defendant’s time to appeal has not yet started to run; (2) That it was permissible to file the notice of appeal and assignment of errors by mail pursuant to either (a) sections 517, 520-a, 521, 522 and 523 of the code, or (b) section 751 of the code, and in either ease the appeal was timely filed; (3) That pursuant to section 164 of the Civil Practice Act (now CPLR 2103) notice [523]*523of the appeal and assignment of errors was timely served upon mailing them, and not when they were received; and (4) That the District Attorney’s failure to challenge the sufficiency of the appeal papers or the timeliness of their filing until some 10 months after receipt of said papers, and his having in effect entered a general appearance on the appeal by withdrawing a prior motion to dismiss the appeal for failure to prosecute same and agreeing to argue the appeal if defendant’s brief was filed by a stated date (with which defendant complied), together constituted a waiver of any errors or irregularities in the taking of the appeal.

These contentions do not aid the defendant in the light of the authorities which are determinative of the situation here presented, and the motion of the District Attorney to dismiss the appeal must be granted.

The right to appeal from a judgment of conviction rendered in a Court of Special Sessions is a privilege granted by statute, and the procedural requirements must be strictly followed. (People v. Palmer, 5 Misc 2d 866.) Section 521 of the code is not applicable to appeals from Courts of Special Sessions, since the subject matter therein relating to the time to take an appeal is covered exclusively by section 751. (People v. Cornell, 186 Misc. 825, 828.)

Section 751 of the code, relating to the method of appeal from a Court of Special Sessions in a county outside the City of New York, provides that: “ An appeal must be taken within thirty days after the judgment * * * by filing an affidavit with the magistrate or clerk of the court rendering the judgment * * * setting forth the alleged errors in the proceedings, conviction or commitment. * * * Upon the ■filing of the affidavit the appeal is deemed taken.” (Emphasis added.)

Conceding arguendo that defendant’s “assignment of errors ”, not in affidavit form and unsworn, might be considered, in conjunction with the notice of appeal, an affidavit of errors as required by section 751, the fact remains that they were not filed with the Clerk of Special Sessions within the statutory period of 30 days after judgment. Such failure to comply with section 751 is fatal to the appeal (People v. Palmer, supra; People v. Buoni, 71 N. Y. S. 2d 108,110).

This court, as an appellate court, has no power to extend the time of appeal or to otherwise cure defects or omissions in taking an appeal (People v. Cornell, supra; People v. Omans, 306 N. Y. 375, 377-378 [1954]).

The appeal in this case could only be taken pursuant to section 751. It could not be taken pursuant to section 521. Defendant [524]*524had no choice. The reason is apparent upon consideration of the main divisions of the code. Part IV, in which section 521 is included, pertains to “ Proceedings in Criminal Actions Prosecuted by Indictment ’ ’, while Part V, in which section 751 is included, pertains to “ Proceedings in Courts of Special Sessions and Police Courts.” These “ Parts ”, insofar as they deal with appeals, are complete in themselves, and the provisions of one part do not apply to provisions of the other part unless expressly adopted. Part V contains no provision directly or by inference which can be construed as incorporating section 521 in the procedure relating to appeals from Special Sessions (cf. People v. Cornell, supra, p. 828).

In People v. Omans (306 N. Y. 375, supra) the defendant, in appealing from a judgment of conviction rendered in a Court of Special Sessions, served a notice of appeal on the Justice of the Peace, within the 30-day period after judgment. Prior to argument of the appeal in the County Court, the District Attorney moved to dismiss the appeal because of defendant’s failure to serve an affidavit of errors as required by section 751. Counsel for defendant sought leave to cure the defect pursuant to section 524-a of the code, which pertains to correction of errors in perfecting an appeal. In affirming the dismissal of the appeal, Judge Fboessel held for the Court of Appeals that the County Court did not have power under section 524-a to relieve defendant from his failure to comply with section 751. As was said of section 521 in People v. Cornell (supra) Judge Fboessel wrote (p. 378) that “ There is no provision in Part IV or V which may in anywise be construed as making section 524-a referable to the procedure prescribed in section 751 ”.

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Bluebook (online)
42 Misc. 2d 521, 248 N.Y.S.2d 377, 1964 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2077, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-dimmie-nycountyct-1964.