People v. Duhaney

2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U)
CourtThe Criminal Court of the City of New York, Bronx
DecidedOctober 30, 2025
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U) (People v. Duhaney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering The Criminal Court of the City of New York, Bronx primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Duhaney, 2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2025).

Opinion

People v Duhaney (2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U)) [*1]

People v Duhaney
2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U)
Decided on October 30, 2025
Criminal Court Of The City Of New York, Bronx County
Moore, J.
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.


Decided on October 30, 2025
Criminal Court of the City of New York, Bronx County


The People of the State of New York,

against

Kelsy Duhaney, Defendant.




Docket No. CR-004042-25BX

For the Defendant:
The Legal Aid Society
(by: Sally Tyre, Esq.)

For the People:
Darcel D. Clark, District Attorney, Bronx County
(by: ADA Chandler Eller) Deidra R. Moore, J.

On January 28, 2025, Kelsy Duhaney (hereinafter referred to as "Defendant"), was arrested and charged with Vehicle and Traffic Law ("V.T.L.") § 1192[3], driving while intoxicated, and related charges. Defendant was arraigned in Bronx County Criminal Court on January 30, 2025.

Defendant moves for dismissal of the accusatory instrument pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law ("C.P.L.") §§ 30.30[1][b] and 170.30[1][e]. Defendant contends that the statutory speedy trial period has elapsed because the People did not comply with their discovery obligations pursuant to C.P.L. §§ 245.20[1] and 245.50[3].

In the alternative, Defendant moves to suppress police observations and testimony about her alleged refusal to submit to a chemical test, asserting that these are the fruit of an illegal stop (Dunaway v New York, 442 US 200 [1979]; Mapp v Ohio, 367 US 643 [1961]; People v Johnson, 134 Misc 2d 474 [Crim Ct, Queens County 1987]). Defendant also moves to suppress properly noticed statements (People v Huntley, 15 NY2d 72 [1965]).

Upon review and consideration of the submissions, court file and relevant legal authority, the Court finds that the prosecution exercised due diligence and made reasonable inquiries and efforts to disclose discoverable materials prior to filing the certificate of compliance. Defendant's motion to dismiss pursuant to C.P.L. §§ 245.50[4][c] and 30.30 is DENIED.

Defendant's motion for Mapp/Huntley/Dunaway/Johnson hearings is GRANTED.

The People are hereby ordered to furnish additional discovery, discussed infra.

RELEVANT FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On January 30, 2025, Defendant was arraigned on a top charge of V.T.L. § 1192[3], [*2]common law driving while intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor. The accusatory instrument alleges that Defendant was observed operating a motor vehicle, exhibited signs of intoxication, and refused to take a breath alcohol test (Criminal Complaint at 2). The Report of Refusal, filed by the prosecution at arraignment, states that Defendant "indicated [her] refusal" by "not provid[ing] sufficient sample within time (2 attempts)." The case was adjourned to March 11, 2025, for conversion and discovery compliance.

On March 11, 2025, the case was unconverted, and discovery had not yet been served. The case was adjourned to May 2, 2025. On March 26, 2025, the People filed and served a supporting deposition. On April 7, 2025, the People filed and served a certificate of compliance ("COC") and statement of readiness ("SOR").

At the court appearance on May 2, 2025, defense counsel indicated that she needed additional time to review discovery. The parties were ordered to diligently confer regarding any outstanding discovery, and the case was adjourned to June 20, 2025, for discovery conference.

On May 15, 2025, defense counsel e-mailed the assigned prosecutor, asserting that multiple discoverable items had not been disclosed. The prosecution shared additional discovery with the defense and filed and served supplemental certificates of compliance on May 16, 2025, and May 20, 2025.

On June 20, 2025, the parties appeared for a discovery conference, and the instant motion schedule was set at Defendant's request. By motion dated July 11, 2025, Defendant moved to invalidate the certificate of compliance and dismiss the accusatory instrument pursuant to C.P.L. §§ 245.50[4][c], 30.30[1][b], and 170.30[1][e], alleging that the prosecution was not ready for trial within the statutorily allotted ninety-day period. The People filed their opposition on August 22, 2025. The defense reply followed on September 25, 2025.



LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The prosecution must be ready for trial within ninety days of the commencement of the criminal action where, as here, the top count charged is a misdemeanor punishable by more than three months' imprisonment (C.P.L. § 30.30[1][b], and V.T.L. § 1193[1][b][i]).

The speedy trial clock is statutorily bound to the prosecution's discovery obligations under C.P.L. Article 245 (C.P.L. §§ 245.50[3] and 30.30[5]). Before the People may be deemed ready for trial — thus tolling the speedy trial clock — they must disclose "material and information" in their possession which fall into any of twenty-two enumerated categories (C.P.L. § 245.20[1]). Discoverable items possessed by "any New York state or local police or law enforcement agency" are deemed to be in the prosecution's possession (C.P.L. § 245.20[2]). Where material otherwise discoverable under C.P.L. § 245.20[1] exists but is not in the prosecution's custody or control, the People are nonetheless required to "make a diligent, good faith effort to ascertain the existence of [this material]" and make it available to the defense (CP.L. § 245.20[2]). The People are not required, however, to obtain by subpoena duces tecum material or information which the defense may obtain in this manner (C.P.L. § 245.20[2]).

Once the People have fulfilled their discovery obligations, they must file with the court and serve on the defense a certificate of compliance, certifying that they have exercised due diligence and made reasonable inquires and efforts to obtain and disclose material subject to discovery under C.P.L. § 245.20[1] (C.P.L. § 245.50[1]). Absent "an individualized finding of special circumstances," the People "shall not be deemed ready for trial" until they have filed a [*3]valid certificate of compliance (C.P.L. § 245.50[3]).

A COC's validity is conditioned upon the exercise of due diligence prior to the COC's filing, and the People bear the burden of demonstrating that they acted with such diligence. Nevertheless, "belated disclosure[s] will not necessarily establish a lack of due diligence or render an initial COC improper" (People v Bay, 41 NY3d 200, 212 [2023]). Analysis of the People's due diligence is "fundamentally case-specific," and "will turn on the circumstances presented" (id.).

C.P.L. Article 245 guides courts tasked with assessing due diligence in the discovery context. Pursuant to C.P.L. § 245.50[5], courts must analyze the totality of the People's efforts to comply with their obligations under Article 245, rather than assessing the People's efforts "item by item." C.P.L. § 245.50[5][a] articulates a non-exhaustive list of factors for courts to consider when examining due diligence, discussed infra, while C.P.L. § 245.50[5][b] advises that all of the listed factors must be weighed, with no one factor being determinative.



DISCUSSION

I. The Parties' Arguments

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

Related

Mapp v. Ohio
367 U.S. 643 (Supreme Court, 1961)
Dunaway v. New York
442 U.S. 200 (Supreme Court, 1979)
People v. Huntley
204 N.E.2d 179 (New York Court of Appeals, 1965)
People v. Johnson
134 Misc. 2d 474 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 1987)
People v. Holly
2025 NY Slip Op 50448(U) (New York Criminal Court, 2025)
People v. Islas
2025 NY Slip Op 51106(U) (Bronx Criminal Court, 2025)
People v. Duhaney
2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U) (Bronx Criminal Court, 2025)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2025 NY Slip Op 51737(U), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-duhaney-nycrimctbronx-2025.