People v. Donlon

117 Misc. 2d 512, 458 N.Y.S.2d 130, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4069
CourtNassau County District Court
DecidedNovember 30, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 117 Misc. 2d 512 (People v. Donlon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nassau County 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. Donlon, 117 Misc. 2d 512, 458 N.Y.S.2d 130, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4069 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Harold Fertig, J.

Defendant makes this motion to dismiss a pending violation of probation on grounds which are both novel and of first impression in the State of New York.

Defendant, Patrick Donlon, was originally charged with burglary in the third degree in violation of section 140.20 of the Penal Law, a class D felony. On March 2, 1979, he pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, a class A misdemeanor. On April 23,1979, the defendant was sentenced by this court to three years’ probation with alcohol and drug therapy and counseling as determined by the Probation Department. A violation of probation was filed on August 11, 1980, based upon defendant’s arrest in Brooklyn on a new charge, and for his failure to report to the Department of Probation for four consecutive weeks. On August 18, 1980, the defendant was arraigned on the violation of probation and on or about November 7, 1980 the Legal Aid Society was assigned to represent him on [513]*513that violation. At the time of his arraignment, August 14, 1980, bail was fixed at $1,000, which the defendant apparently was unable to meet, and he remained in detention from the 14th until the 18th when the bail was reduced to $500 S.I.B. or $250 cash. On August 20, 1980, still in detention, the defendant appeared before the Honorable Joseph DeMaro and was directed by Judge DeMaro that if he was released on bail he was to report to probation for intensive supervision during such release. On that same day, defendant posted bail of $250 cash and was released. The matter was adjourned to September 18,1980 for either a hearing or a conference between the court and defendant’s counsel.

On several occasions thereafter, the hearing was adjourned at defendant’s request for the purpose of bringing certain matters to the court’s attention and to give the defendant an opportunity to show the court that his actions and conduct during that period warranted the court in restoring him to probation. On April 6, 1981, after conferring with defense counsel and reviewing the defendant’s conduct during the entire period between the time the violation was filed and that date, the court restored the defendant to probation. During the period between August 11,1980 when the violation was filed, and April 6,1981 the defendant continued to report to the Department of Probation in compliance with both the orders of Judge DeMaro and the Probation Department. During that period his reporting record and conduct were satisfactory to the Department of Probation. The court subsequently entered an order adding 238 days to the original three-year period of probation in accordance with the provisions of subdivision 2 of section 65.15 of the Penal Law. That section provides: “When a person has violated the conditions of his probation * * * and is declared delinquent by the court, the declaration of delinquency shall interrupt the period of the sentence as of the date of the delinquency and such interruption shall continue until a final determination as to the delinquency has been made by the court pursuant to a hearing held in accordance with the provisions of the criminal procedure law.” (Emphasis supplied.)

[514]*514The defendant claims that since he continued reporting to the Department of Probation during the 238-day period in question, upon Judge DeMaro’s admonition and at the request of the Probation Department, he should get credit for those days and the statute which provides for the tolling of the period is not applicable. He furthers argues that if he is entitled to receive credit for those 238 days, the original probation period terminated on April 23, 1982, which preceded May 11, 1982, the date the new violation was filed, and such violation should be dismissed since the court no longer had jurisdiction of the defendant.

The substantive acts which caused the second violation to be filed were alleged to have occurred on March 31, 1982, February 25, 1982 and October 2, 1982, when the defendant was charged with criminal possession of stolen property. The court is satisfied that in the State of New York probation may be revoked if the underlying acts occur during the period of probation and the People also file the declaration of delinquency prior to the expiration of the probation term. (See Revocation of probation-term expiration, Ann., 13 ALR4th 1240, 1254; Fishbein v State of New York, 282 App Div 600, mot for lv to app den 282 App Div 1093; People v Valle, 7 Misc 2d 125; People v Cooper, 54 Misc 2d 42; People v Magno, 91 Misc 2d 1058.)

Having made that determination, the court must now determine whether the statute, which provides for the tolling of the period of probation between the time the violation is filed and the time of the final disposition of the alleged violation, should be waived because the defendant actually reported to the Department of Probation during that period.

Prior to the enactment of subdivision 2 of section 65.15 of the Penal Law, once the probationer’s period of probation terminated he was no longer under the court’s jurisdiction, and, unless revocation proceedings were commenced prior to that termination, the court did not have jurisdiction of the defendant (Fishbein v State of New York, supra). Before the enactment of that statute, the only thing that would toll the period of probation was defendant’s removing himself from the jurisdiction of the Probation Department.

[515]*515Such rights as may be preserved to one charged as a probation violator are not derived from the Federal Constitution but from applicable statutory provisions relating to probation (People v Hamilton, 47 Misc 2d 1009, revd on other grounds 26 AD2d 134). In addition, it has been determined that a defendant has no right to bail on a violation of probation after he has been taken into custody and pending the decision of whether or not the probation should be revoked. (See Killinger, Kerper & Cromwell, Jr., Probation and Parole in the Criminal Justice System, p 179; CPL 410.60; see, also, Matter of McBride, 108 Tex Cr Rep 618; People v Youngs, 23 Cal App 3d 180.)

Whereas CPL 530.40 (subd 1) provides, “When the defendant is charged with an offense or offenses of less than felony grade only, the court must order recognizance or bail”; CPL 410.60 relating to violation of probation states, “If the court has reasonable cause to believe that such person has violated a condition of the sentence, it may commit him to the custody of the sheriff or fix bail or release such person” (emphasis supplied).

In People ex rel. Robinson v Warden, N. Y. City Correctional Inst. for Women (58 AD2d 559), it was determined that, “A probation term differs from a prison term in that it is intended to afford a sentencing court an opportunity to determine whether its confidence is misplaced”. And, in Vinson u Department of Probation (472 F Supp 1112), where a probationer served a period of probation and a new sentence was imposed, the probationer was not entitled to any credit for time served on probation.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Opinion No.
Arkansas Attorney General Reports, 1999
People v. Rodriguez
156 A.D.2d 491 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1989)
People v. Montgomery
115 A.D.2d 102 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
117 Misc. 2d 512, 458 N.Y.S.2d 130, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4069, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-donlon-nydistctnassau-1982.