People v. Farrell

47 Misc. 3d 524, 3 N.Y.S.3d 889
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedJanuary 28, 2015
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 47 Misc. 3d 524 (People v. Farrell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Criminal Court of the City of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Farrell, 47 Misc. 3d 524, 3 N.Y.S.3d 889 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

[525]*525OPINION OF THE COURT

Elisa S. Koenderman, J.

The defendant, Leslie Farrell, is charged with assault in the third degree, Penal Law § 120.00 (1), and harassment in the second degree, Penal Law § 240.26 (1). The defendant moves to dismiss the criminal action against her on the ground that she has been denied her statutory right to a speedy trial (see CPL 30.30 [1] [b]). In sum, she argues that the People’s off-calendar notices of readiness were rendered illusory by their subsequent in-court announcements that they were not ready for trial. She contends therefore that the People are chargeable with more than 90 days since her arraignment. Because there is no proof that the People’s statements of readiness did not accurately reflect their position at the time they were made, however, only 24 days are chargeable to them to date. Accordingly, the defendant’s motion is denied.

Pursuant to CPL 30.30 (1) (b), the People must be ready for trial within 90 days of commencement of a criminal action charging a defendant with a misdemeanor punishable by a sentence of imprisonment of more than three months. Although a criminal action commences when the accusatory instrument is filed, counting for speedy trial purposes starts the following day (see People v Stiles, 70 NY2d 765 [1987]). Whether the People have satisfied their obligation to be ready under CPL 30.30 is generally determined by calculating the time between the filing of the first accusatory instrument and the People’s declaration of readiness, then subtracting statutorily excludable periods of delay and finally adding any additional periods of postreadiness delay which are attributable to the People and ineligible for any exclusions under the statute (see People v Cortes, 80 NY2d 201 [1992]).

The defendant was arraigned on the misdemeanor complaint on January 28, 2014. The court released her on her own recognizance and adjourned the matter to March 5, 2014 for the People to file the supporting deposition necessary to convert the complaint to an information.1 Off-calendar on January 31, 2014, the People filed and served a supporting deposition from [526]*526the complainant with a notice of readiness. Once the People have announced their readiness upon a valid accusatory instrument, they have satisfied their obligation under the statute (see People v Giordano, 56 NY2d 524 [1982]). Moreover, a certificate of readiness, filed and served when a complaint is converted to an information, tolls the speedy trial clock (see People v Stirrup, 91 NY2d 434, 440 [1998]; People v Smith, 82 NY2d 676, 678 [1993]; People v Sherman, 24 Misc 3d 344, 349 [Crim Ct, NY County 2009]). Three days are chargeable to the People for this adjournment.

On March 5, 2014, the People again announced ready for trial and the court adjourned the matter to May 2, 2014 for open file discovery.2 The period of delay for discovery by stipulation is excludable (see People v Thomas, 26 Misc 3d 144[A], 2010 NY Slip Op 50441 [U], *1 [App Term, 2d Dept, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2010]). Zero days are chargeable for this adjournment.

On May 2, 2014, the People provided open file discovery and the court adjourned the matter to June 17, 2014 for trial.3 Since this period afforded defense counsel the opportunity to review the discovery by stipulation and prepare for trial, it is properly excludable as delay “caused by the defendant for [her] own benefit” (People v Worley, 66 NY2d 523, 527 [1985]; see also People v Heine, 238 AD2d 212 [1st Dept 1997]). Zero days are chargeable to the People.

On June 17, 2014, the People moved for an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (ACD) with a full order of protection for the complainant.4 The defendant indicated that she wanted to consider the People’s offer and the court adjourned the matter to July 30, 2014 for possible disposition or trial. [527]*527Delays occasioned by adjournments which are requested or consented to by the defendant are not chargeable to the People (see Worley, 66 NY2d at 525; People v Kopciowski, 68 NY2d 615, 617 [1986]). Zero days are chargeable for this adjournment.

On July 30, 2014, the defendant rejected the People’s offer of an ACD with an order of protection. The People announced not ready for trial and did not request an adjournment. The court adjourned the matter to October 9, 2014 for trial. Off-calendar on August 14, 2014, however, the People filed and served a notice of readiness for trial.

The People affirm in response to the instant motion that they announced not ready on July 30, 2014 because the complainant previously had informed them that she would not testify at trial. They further assert that they filed the off-calendar notice of readiness on August 14, 2014 because the complainant contacted them on August 13, 2014 and told them that she was now willing to testify against the defendant.

On October 9, 2014, however, the People announced that they were not ready because the complainant had the flu and requested a few days for her to appear. The court adjourned the case to October 14, 2014 for trial.

On October 14, 2014, when the case was first called, the People stated that they were not ready for trial and did not request an adjournment. At a second call of the case at their request, the People then indicated that the complainant was cooperative and that they would file a statement of readiness off-calendar when they again were ready to proceed. The court directed the People to move to advance the case for trial in that event, and adjourned the matter to December 19, 2014. The next day, on October 15, 2014, the People filed and served an off-calendar notice of readiness.

The People affirm that they announced not ready when the case first was called on October 14, 2014 because despite their repeated efforts they were unable to contact the complainant. They further assert that immediately thereafter they succeeded in reaching the complainant by telephone and that she reiterated that she was willing to testify; that she would have appeared that day had she been notified; and that she would appear in the future for trial.

On November 12, 2014, the case was advanced and added to the calendar for the defendant to file and serve the instant [528]*528speedy trial motion.5 The court directed the People to respond by November 26, 2014 and adjourned the matter to January 15, 2015 for decision. On January 15, 2015, the court again adjourned the matter to January 26, 2015 for decision. The period of delay resulting from a defendant’s pretrial motion and the time during which it is under consideration by the court is excludable (see Worley, 66 NY2d at 527; see also CPL 30.30 [4] [a]). Indeed, while a defendant’s pretrial motion is sub judice, that period of delay is excludable regardless of the People’s readiness (see People v Douglas, 209 AD2d 161, 162 [1st Dept 1994]). Zero days are chargeable to the People for this adjournment.

The primary issue in this case is whether the period of delay after the People filed the off-calendar notices of readiness on August 14, 2014 and October 15, 2014, respectively, should be charged to them since they were not ready for trial on the following adjournment date. Relying on People v Sibblies (22 NY3d 1174 [2014, Lippman, Ch.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 Misc. 3d 524, 3 N.Y.S.3d 889, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-farrell-nycrimct-2015.