People v. Sheehan

39 Misc. 3d 695
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedApril 2, 2013
StatusPublished

This text of 39 Misc. 3d 695 (People v. Sheehan) 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. Sheehan, 39 Misc. 3d 695 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

[696]*696OPINION OF THE COURT

Joanne D. Quiñones, J.

Defendant is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, in violation of Penal Law § 121.11 (a), attempted assault in the third degree, in violation of Penal Law §§ 110.00, 120.00 (1), and harassment in the second degree, in violation of Penal Law § 240.26 (1). Defendant now moves to dismiss the information on the grounds that he has been denied his right to a speedy trial pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law §§ 30.30 (1) (b) and 170.30 (1) (e). In determining the motion, the court is called upon to examine the scope and meaning of the executive orders issued by the Governor with regard to Hurricane Sandy.

Discussion

In this case, the highest crime charged against the defendant is a class A misdemeanor (see Penal Law § 121.11 [a]). Class A misdemeanors are punishable by a sentence of imprisonment not to exceed one year (Penal Law § 70.15). Where the defendant is charged with a class A misdemeanor, a motion to dismiss on speedy trial grounds must be granted where the People are not ready for trial within 90 days of commencement of the criminal action (CPL 30.30 [1] [b]).

The defendant has the initial burden of showing, through sworn allegations of fact, that there has been an inexcusable delay beyond the time allotted by the statute (People v Santos, 68 NY2d 859, 861 [1986]). Once the defendant has made that showing, the People bear the burden of demonstrating sufficient excludable time in order to withstand a motion to dismiss (id.).

Based on a review of the court file, the stenographic minutes of October 2, 2012, and the submissions of the parties, the court finds as follows:

October 2, 2012 - December 3, 2012

On October 2, 2012, defendant was arraigned on a misdemeanor complaint and released on his own recognizance. The matter was adjourned to December 3, 2012, for a supporting deposition from the complainant.1

On October 26, 2012, due to severe hurricane weather forecasted for New York, the Governor of New York issued Ex[697]*697ecutive Order No. 47 declaring a disaster emergency in all 62 counties of New York State (Executive Order [Cuomo] No. 47 [9 NYCRR 8.47]). On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy pummeled New York City — lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and major sections of the city, including Lower Manhattan where the New York County Criminal Court is located, were without electricity and public transportation. As a result, New York County Criminal Court, with the exception of the arraignment parts, was closed from October 29, 2012, until November 5, 2012.

On October 31, 2012, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 52 whereby he temporarily suspended “for the period from the date of this Executive Order until further notice” CPL 30.30 “so far as [it] may bar criminal prosecutions brought in . . . New York . . . Counties, in cases whose limitation periods conclude during the period commencing from the date that the disaster emergency was declared . . . until further notice” (Executive Order [Cuomo] No. 52 [9 NYCRR 8.52] [emphasis added]). On November 20, 2012, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 81 declaring that the suspension of CPL 30.30 would expire on November 25, 2012 (Executive Order [Cuomo] No. 81 [9 NYCRR 8.81]).

While conceding that a portion of this two-month adjournment is chargeable to them, the People submit that the period from October 26, 2012, through November 25, 2012, is excludable pursuant to Executive Order No. 52. Specifically, the People contend that “the plain language of the Order and the caselaw construing similar orders from the 9/11 era” direct that this 30-day period not be charged to the People.

Contrary to the People’s contention, neither the plain language of Executive Order No. 52 nor the case law interpreting similar executive orders2 issued after the World Trade Center attack mandates or even suggests a blanket suspension [698]*698of the speedy trial statute in all pending cases. In fact, the applicability and scope of the executive orders issued after the World Trade Center attack were the basis of much litigation because courts interpreted the executive orders differently (see e.g. People v Forbes, 191 Misc 2d 667, 669 [Sup Ct, Bronx County 2002] [noting that even if period of delay between September 11 and October 1 is not excludable pursuant to Governor’s order suspending CPL 30.30 for cases whose limitation periods concluded during pendency of order, court nevertheless found period excludable as an exceptional circumstance]; People v Wright, 193 Misc 2d 207, 209-210 [Crim Ct, NY County 2002] [“A reading of the executive orders . . . makes clear that there was in effect a complete suspension of CPL 30.30 through . . . October 12, 2001, such that ‘exceptional circumstances’ need not be demonstrated in any case where the statutory speedy trial period concluded anytime between September 12, and October 12, 2001. (After) October 12, 2001, CPL 30.30 was reinstated and the courts were required to return to exceptional circumstances analysis”]; People v Pena, 2002 NY Slip Op 40129[U], *4 [Crim Ct, Bronx County 2002] [court reasoned that while it is clear that the Governor’s orders issued after the September 11 attacks precluded dismissal of a case whose speedy trial limitation period expired between September 11 and October 12, 2001, the effect of the Governor’s orders on cases whose speedy trial limitation expired after October 12 is less clear]; People v Aquino, 189 Misc 2d 572, 574 [Crim Ct, NY County 2001] [executive order suspending CPL 30.30 “so far as it bars criminal prosecutions” applies to 30.30 dismissal but not to 30.30 release]; see generally Paul G. Feinman & Brooks Holland, Grounds May Exist to Challenge Orders Suspending Speedy Trials in Aftermath of September Attack, 74 NY St BJ 34 [Feb. 2002]). One commentator noted that whereas some interpret the order as a “blanket tolling” of speedy trial time in all cases, “a more specific interpretation would be that it ap[699]*699plies only to those cases for which the speedy trial limits would have expired during the order and not any other cases” (see Richard J. Howard, Reviewing Emergency Suspension on Speedy Trial, NYLJ, Feb. 22, 2002 at 23, col 4).

Turning now to the plain language of the order at issue here, Executive Order No. 52 specifically states that the Governor

“temporarily suspend[s], for the period from the date of this Executive Order [Oct. 31, 2012] until further notice . . .
“Section[ ] . . . 30.30 of the Criminal Procedure Law, so far as [it] may bar criminal prosecutions brought in . . . New York . . . Counties, in cases whose limitation periods conclude during the period commencing from the date the disaster emergency was declared . . . until further notice” (see 9 NYCRR 8.52).

It is clear from the natural and plain meaning of the words used in that provision that the suspension of section 30.30 of the CPL is applicable in cases where the speedy trial limitation period “concludes,” that is, expires, between October 26, 2012, the date the disaster emergency was declared, and “further notice,” which was defined in Executive Order No. 81 as November 25, 2012.

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Related

People v. Stirrup
694 N.E.2d 434 (New York Court of Appeals, 1998)
People v. Kendzia
476 N.E.2d 287 (New York Court of Appeals, 1985)
People v. Santos
501 N.E.2d 19 (New York Court of Appeals, 1986)
People v. Fuller
8 A.D.3d 204 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2004)
People v. Shannon
143 A.D.2d 572 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1988)
People v. Perre
172 Misc. 2d 976 (New York Supreme Court, 1997)
People v. Forbes
191 Misc. 2d 667 (New York Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Santiago
147 Misc. 2d 143 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 1990)
People v. Aquino
189 Misc. 2d 572 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 2001)
People v. Wright
193 Misc. 2d 207 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
39 Misc. 3d 695, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-sheehan-nycrimct-2013.