People v. Mohammed

171 Misc. 2d 130, 653 N.Y.S.2d 492, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 478
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 6, 1996
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 171 Misc. 2d 130 (People v. Mohammed) 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. Mohammed, 171 Misc. 2d 130, 653 N.Y.S.2d 492, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 478 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Reinaldo E. Rivera, J.

I. INTRODUCTION

Counsel for the defendant has petitioned this court, sitting in Criminal Term at Special Term 10 thereof, by writ of habeas corpus, for a reduction of bail from $3,500 to $1,000, the amount originally set at defendant’s arraignment in local criminal court. The increase to $3,500 was ordered in superior court by the presiding Justice in the Trial Part.

After two in camera conferences, leave was granted for counsel to submit memoranda of law in support of and in opposition to the writ of habeas corpus, respectively. Having considered counsel’s oral arguments, having reviewed the memoranda of law, the minutes of the calendar calls in Supreme Court on July 31, 1996, August 19, 1996, and September 24, 1996, and having further considered the applicable statutes and decisional case law, decision is rendered herein.

II. BACKGROUND

Defendant was arrested on June 26, 1996 and charged in a felony complaint with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (Penal Law § 220.39 [1]); criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Penal Law § 220.16 [1]); criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree (Penal Law § 220.03) (two counts) and unlawful possession of marihuana (Penal Law § 221.05). He was arraigned in Criminal Court, Kings County, on June 27, 1996. Bail was set in the amount of $1,000. The matter was adjourned to Criminal Court Part APN, for July 2, 1996. The $1,000 bail was posted on June 29, 1996.

The Grand Jury of the County of Kings voted a true bill and an indictment was filed July 10, 1996. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court on July 31, 1996. The charges set forth in this indictment, number 8792/96, are substantially the same as those in the underlying felony complaint. The indictment adds a count, or charge, of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree (Penal Law § 220.31), and contains one instead of two counts of criminal possession of a [132]*132controlled substance in the seventh degree (Penal Law § 220.03).

While at liberty the defendant made two appearances in local criminal court: July 2 and July 23, 1996, both in Part APN, and three appearances in superior court: July 31, 1996, for arraignment in ACA 360; August 19, 1996, and September 24, 1996, for conference in Criminal Term Part 14, the Trial Part.

On that last date the trial court set new bail at $3,500. The defendant has been incarcerated since then.

III. QUESTION PRESENTED

Did Supreme Court, Criminal Term Part 14, abuse its discretion in setting bail at $3,500 by virtue of one or both of the following factors: (A) the securing order of bail by superior court at the defendant’s arraignment on the indictment constituted a first release determination which, absent a change of circumstances, may not be disturbed; (B) the securing order of bail in the amount of $3,500 by the nisi prius court, to wit, Criminal Term Part 14, violated the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail because: (i) the defendant had returned to court five times on the bail set in local criminal court, i.e., $1,000; (ii) the defendant was unable to make $3,500 bail.

IV. ARGUMENTS OF COUNSEL

Petitioner contends that the decision setting bail at $3,500 was an abuse of discretion in that: (1) no additional facts or circumstances had developed subsequent to the bail being set at $1,000 to justify the increase; (2) the defendant had returned to court five times while at liberty on the $1,000 bail; (3) the $3,500 bail violated the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail since $1,000 was demonstrably sufficient to ensure defendant’s return to court and since defendant is unable to raise the additional bail.

Petitioner further maintains that this court has the authority, should it find an abuse of discretion and sustain the writ, to reinstate the bail to the $1,000 previously set.

In opposition to the writ, the People contend that superior court was not mandated to continue the $1,000 bail set by Criminal Court. Further, notwithstanding defendant’s prior appearances before the superior court, no previous applications for bail had been made, therefore, the superior court was entitled to exercise its discretion and set whatever bail it considered appropriate in accordance with constitutional and statutory standards. Additionally, the People assert that $3,500 [133]*133is not excessive when the circumstances of this particular defendant are assessed with respect to the statutory criteria set forth in CPL 510.30.

V. PRELIMINARY

To answer the questions presented by this case this court must consider and resolve the following issues of apparent first impression.

First: What effect or legal consequence exists where without hearing bail applications and without considering the criteria set forth in CPL 510.30, superior court continues, pursuant to CPL 530.40 (2), the securing order of recognizance or bail by local criminal court?

Does this constitute a discretionary release determination pursuant to CPL 510.10, which absent a change in circumstances, should not be disturbed by a court of concurrent jurisdiction?

Second: When superior court acquires control, upon filing of an indictment, of a defendant who is at liberty bécause of an order of recognizance or bail of local criminal court, where the felony complaint and the indictment are based on the same conduct, is superior court required to find the securing order by local criminal court sufficient, as a matter of law? Once defendant, while at liberty, returns to court on that securing order, is an increase by the trial court in the amount of bail set by criminal court per se excessive bail, where superior court without a hearing continued the bail order of the local criminal court?

VI. DISCUSSION

(a) scope of habeas review

The scope of collateral review upon a habeas corpus petition challenging a bail decision by a nisi prius court is narrow. It is limited to consideration of whether the denial of bail was an abuse of statutory discretion or a violation of the constitutional prohibition against excessive bail or its arbitrary refusal. (People ex rel. Klein v Krueger, 25 NY2d 497 [1969]; People ex rel. Hunt v Warden, 161 AD2d 475 [1990].)

The habeas corpus court may not substitute its discretion for that of the nisi prius court if the bail decision was the product of the exercise of discretion resting on a rational basis. (People ex rel. Brown v Bednosky, 190 AD2d 836 [2d Dept 1993].) The habeas court exercises collateral review of an exercise of discre[134]*134tion by the bail-setting court. (People ex rel. Mordkofsky v Stancari, 93 AD2d 826 [1983].) This court’s function is not to decide if it would have made the same decision (People ex rel. Rosenthal v Wolfson, 65 AD2d 113 [1978]), nor to exercise independent discretion as to bail. (Matter of Buthy v Ward, 34 AD2d 884 [1970].)

The habeas court may review the action of the denial of bail or the fixing of an amount of bail if it appears that the constitutional or statutory standards inhibiting excessive bail or the arbitrary refusal of bail are violated. (People ex rel.

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Bluebook (online)
171 Misc. 2d 130, 653 N.Y.S.2d 492, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mohammed-nysupct-1996.