People v. Lloret

48 Misc. 3d 829, 9 N.Y.S.3d 773
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedMarch 13, 2015
StatusPublished

This text of 48 Misc. 3d 829 (People v. Lloret) 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. Lloret, 48 Misc. 3d 829, 9 N.Y.S.3d 773 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Dakota D. Ramsetjr, J.

Defendant is charged with riot in the second degree (Penal Law § 240.05), obstructing governmental administration in the second degree (Penal Law § 195.05), and disorderly conduct (Penal Law § 240.20 [1]). Defendant moves, pursuant to CPL 100.40 and 170.30, to dismiss count one, riot in the second degree (Penal Law § 240.05), as facially insufficient.

This court has reviewed the submission of the parties and the court file. For the reasons set forth below, defendant’s motion to dismiss count one charging riot in the second degree (Penal Law § 240.05) is granted.

Factual Allegations

The factual allegations in the accusatory instrument allege, in pertinent part, that on or about May 17, 2014, at approximately 1:10 p.m. at the Robert N. Davern Center, Rikers Island, Correction Officer Jonathan Cofresi (CO Cofresi) observed defendant acting in concert with Anneury Flores, Travaughn Nourine, and Ruben Rodriguez (collectively, codefendants), along with separately charged defendants Brandon Benjamin, Mario Meruilus, Isaiah Bloome, and Raequan Clesca, in that CO Cofresi observed that they were “striking each other several times with closed fists.” It is further alleged that CO Cofresi “ordered the defendants to stop fighting with each other and the defendants refused to comply.” The accusatory instrument further alleges that

“all the defendants’ above conduct prevented [CO Cofresi] from performing his official duty as a correction officer in that [he] was dressed in his official uniform and was responsible for keeping the peace, maintaining the good order and security of [831]*831the institution when this incident took place and defendants’ actions prevented [him] from completing his official duties.”

It is further alleged that “several institutional services and programs were stopped for approximately twenty (20) minutes in order for [CO Cofresi] to stop the defendants from fighting each other.”

Contentions

Defendant contends that count one charging Penal Law § 240.05 is facially insufficient in that it “fails to allege facts demonstrating that [defendant’s] conduct caused or created a grave risk of alarm in the community outside of the correctional facility in which the alleged fight occurred.” Defendant argues that the accusatory instrument lacks any indication that members of the public experienced alarm as a result of the fight, or that there was “any grave risk that members of the public could have been affected by the fight in any way.” Although it is alleged that the fight that took place inside of the Robert N. Davern Center, Rikers Island between a number of inmates at the facility temporarily delayed institutional services and prevented the correction officer from performing his official duties at the facility, there is no indication of a delay that would have affected members of the public as there are “no allegation [s] that any member of the public was involved in the fight, nor that the fight took place in a public area of the facility.” Nor is it alleged that members of the public became aware of the fight or had any other opportunity to experience public alarm. Given that the fight was “apparently contained within a controlled area of the facility,” defendant contends that the accusatory instrument fails to establish a grave risk that members of the public could have been affected or alarmed.

In support of his contention, defendant notes that, in 2005, the New York State Legislature affirmatively addressed the issue of whether fights taking place inside of a correctional facility met the “public alarm” requirement of riot in the first degree (Penal Law § 240.06). Defendant argues that under the former language of Penal Law § 240.06, the legislature found that participants in a large prison riot could not be charged without a showing that their conduct had caused public alarm in the community outside the facility. And, in response to what they perceived to be a loophole, the legislature chose to amend Penal [832]*832Law § 240.06 to add a subdivision prohibiting violent or tumultuous conduct inside of a correctional facility that causes or creates a grave risk of causing alarm within such facility. Because the legislature affirmatively opted not to amend Penal Law § 240.05, defendant contends that the legislative history of Penal Law § 240.06 therefore

“makes clear that violent or tumultuous conduct taking place inside of a correctional facility may only be penalized under Penal Law § 240.05 if there is a showing that public alarm occurred or that there was a grave risk that it would occur in the community outside of the facility.”

The accusatory instrument here makes no such showing.

In opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss, the People argue that the accusatory instrument is a facially sufficient information “in that it is based upon the personal knowledge, observations and belief of the correction officer . . . and sets forth an accusatory and factual part.” The People recite the factual allegations in the accusatory instrument and argue that it “clearly establishes sufficient facts to meet the low standard required for facial sufficiency under each count charged.” In response to defendant’s contention that the People have failed to make out the crucial element of “public alarm,” the People argue that defendant “proposes a limited reading of the penal law charge of Riot in the Second Degree and its definition of public alarm.” The People contend that the accusatory instrument

“clearly sets forth that the conduct of defendant, along with seven other defendants, affected not only a location where individual members of the public are present, but also that these individuals [sic] lives, who are considered members of the community, were put at grave risk as a result of these defendant’s [sic] actions.”

In support of their contention, the People argue that the incident occurred in a “day room,” an area in which other inmates, correction officers, staff, and property were located. The People contend that a grave risk of public alarm was created by defendants’ fighting and preventing the correction officer from protecting the safety of these individuals and Rikers’ property. Additionally, the People contend that they have not only alleged that the actions of the defendants affected inmates, but also that the correction officer was prevented from keeping the peace, and maintaining the order and security of “the entire [833]*833institution and that several institution programs and services were shut down and completely stopped for a twenty minute period because of the threat defendant’s actions posed.”

In response to defendant’s contentions that his actions, by taking place inside of a correction facility, do not create a grave risk of public alarm to the outside community, the People contend that

“the threat of seven inmates fighting each other who refuse to stop when asked by a correction officer is exactly the type of conduct that the legislation intended to prevent under Penal Law § 240.05, which is fighting amongst four or more individuals which leads to more fighting, and a threat of violence and injury to not only the individuals fighting but also every other individual located around the area where the fighting is occurring.”

Further, the People argue that

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Related

People v. Weaver
944 N.E.2d 634 (New York Court of Appeals, 2011)
People v. Baker
984 N.E.2d 902 (New York Court of Appeals, 2013)
People v. Alejandro
511 N.E.2d 71 (New York Court of Appeals, 1987)
People v. Cook
152 Misc. 2d 677 (New York Supreme Court, 1992)
People v. Archer
155 Misc. 2d 601 (New York Supreme Court, 1992)
People v. Voelker
172 Misc. 2d 564 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 Misc. 3d 829, 9 N.Y.S.3d 773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lloret-nycrimct-2015.