People v. Miterko

186 Misc. 2d 337, 717 N.Y.S.2d 843, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 488
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 19, 2000
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 186 Misc. 2d 337 (People v. Miterko) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Miterko, 186 Misc. 2d 337, 717 N.Y.S.2d 843, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 488 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2000).

Opinion

[338]*338OPINION OF THE COURT

John M. Leventhal, J.

As part of the omnibus motion, defendant moves to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that the People violated CPL 170.55 (2) and 170.20 (2) in that the People failed to obtain permission from the Criminal Court to either place the case on the calendar or for permission to present the case to the Grand Jury. Although the motion is to dismiss the entire indictment, the arguments for dismissal are only applicable to counts 2 through 112, inclusive. No arguments are submitted as to why counts 1 and 113 through 115 should be dismissed. To the extent that the motion covers counts 1 and 113 through 115, the motion is denied. The court notes that count 115 states that the criminal trespass occurred on November 6, 2000. That date has not yet arrived. There is obviously a typographical error as to the year. The prosecution is directed to file a written motion to amend the indictment to reflect the appropriate date.

Factual Background

Between July 30, 1999 and November 4, 1999, it is alleged that defendant made numerous (according to the indictment at least 111) telephone calls to the complainant. On November 7, 1999, a misdemeanor complaint was filed, under docket number 99K081972 in Kings County Criminal Court, charging defendant with one count of aggravated harassment. Defendant was arraigned and pleaded “not guilty.” An order of protection was issued directing that defendant not have any contact with the complainant.

On December 24, 1999, defendant allegedly violated the order of protection. On December 29, 1999, a felony complaint under docket number 99K094700 was filed in Kings County Criminal Court. The next day defendant was arraigned and pleaded “not guilty.”

On February 1, 2000, defendant offered to plead guilty to violating the order of protection. The People moved to reduce the felony complaint to misdemeanor charges. The People’s motion was granted. Defendant then pleaded guilty. The court promised the defendant that he would receive three years’ probation, counseling and an order of protection would be issued directing defendant not to have any contact with the complainant. After the promise was placed on the record, the People requested that complainant’s mother be added to the order of protection. That motion was denied. Thereafter, the following colloquy was placed on the record:

[339]*339“the court: Your other case, the offer on the other case, that will be adjourned in contemplation of dismissal?
“mr. purdo [ADA]: Correct.
“the court: Your other docket is adjourned in contemplation of dismissal.
“Do you understand all those promises.”1

Thereafter, the court set forth certain conditions, that if the defendant violated them, the court would not be bound by its promise. The court then issued an order of protection directing that defendant not have any contact with the complainant. The guilty plea was then accepted and a sentencing date was set.

Both sides agree that the “other case” referred to in the allocution is docket number 99K081972. The People and the defendant disagree as to whether the above words reflect an actual adjournment of docket number 99K081972 in contemplation of dismissal, or merely a promise to adjourn docket number 99K081972 in contemplation of dismissal at the time of sentence.

On February 7, 2000 (six days after the plea allocution), defendant allegedly violated the order of protection and contacted or attempted to contact the complainant.

On March 15, 2000, a felony complaint was filed under docket number 2000Kn024008 in Kings County Criminal Court. That felony complaint alleged that on February 7, 2000 defendant violated the order of protection dated February 1, 2000. Defendant was arraigned and pleaded “not guilty.”

On April 3, 2000, all three dockets appeared on the calendar in Kings County Criminal Court.2 The notation on the court’s file under docket number 99K081972 states as follows:

“DA says ACD granted on 2/1/00.
“No indication on file.
“D/c[3] will have to get minutes to prove ACD granted.”

The cases were adjourned to April 27, 2000.

On April 27, 2000, defendant was sentenced on Kings County Criminal Court docket number 99K094700. The court was informed that the charges in docket number 99K081972 were [340]*340submitted to a Grand Jury and that the Grand Jury voted to indict the defendant. The court was also informed that the Grand Jury had voted to indict defendant for the charges under docket number 2000Kn024008. The presiding Judge then ruled that the Grand Jury vote divested the Criminal Court of jurisdiction over the crimes contained in those docket numbers.

Prior to submitting the case to the Grand Jury, the prosecution failed to ask for an adjournment of the Criminal Court cases in order to obtain an indictment nor did the prosecution seek permission to restore docket number 99K081972 to the calendar.

On May 5, 2000, the instant indictment was filed. The indictment, inter alia, charges one count of aggravated harassment for each telephone call. On May 23, 2000, defendant was arraigned on the indictment and pleaded “not guilty.”

Grand Jury Power to Indict

The Grand Jury derives its power to indict a person from article I, § 6 of the New York State Constitution and the acts of the Legislature (Matter of Wood v Hughes, 9 NY2d 144, 149; People v Stern, 3 NY2d 658, 661, 662-663). The powers of the Grand Jury to indict cannot be curtailed except by a clearly worded statute (People v Williams, 73 NY2d 84, 89; People v Stern, supra, 3 NY2d, at 661, 662-663; People ex rel. Hirschberg v Close, 1 NY2d 258, 261; Matter of Chang v Rotker, 155 AD2d 49, 55-56, 58). Where a Criminal Court dismisses a misdemeanor charge not on the merits, the Grand Jury court may indict a defendant on felony charges arising out of the same transaction (Matter of Chang v Rotker, 155 AD2d, at 58, supra; see also, People ex rel. Hirschberg v Close, 1 NY2d, at 261, supra). Dismissal of misdemeanor charges on grounds other than the merits does not bar reinstatement of those charges (People v Nuccio, 78 NY2d 102).

Thus, where a Criminal Court has dismissed charges on grounds other than the merits, a Grand Jury may indict such person for the same charges unless there is a clearly worded statute barring Grand Jury action.4

CPL 170.55

Prior to the enactment of the Criminal Procedure Law, courts exercised the inherent power to discharge a defendant on his [341]*341own recognizance (D.O.R.) (People v Meyerson, 165 Misc 2d 476, 478; Matter of Gabriel M., 128 Misc 2d 313, 315; People v Paar, 89 Misc 2d 11, 13; People v Hurt, 78 Misc 2d 43, 45; People v Pomerantz, 76 Misc 2d 766, 767). Under the terms of a D.O.R., a defendant was released on his own recognizance for an indefinite period of time (id.). The case was adjourned without a date. The D.O.R. was only granted with the consent of all parties.

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Related

People v. Davenport
293 A.D.2d 625 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 Misc. 2d 337, 717 N.Y.S.2d 843, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-miterko-nysupct-2000.