People v. Underwood

2024 NY Slip Op 04836

Opinion

People v Underwood (2024 NY Slip Op 04836)

People v Underwood

2024 NY Slip Op 04836

Decided on October 03, 2024

Appellate Division, First Department

Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.

This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.

Decided and Entered: October 03, 2024
Before: Manzanet-Daniels, J.P., Friedman, Gesmer, González, Pitt-Burke, JJ.

Ind No. 75339/22 Appeal No. 2705 Case No. 2023-06285

[*1]The People of the State of New York, Respondent,

v

Taj Underwood, Defendant-Appellant.

Jenay Nurse Guilford, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (David J. Klem of counsel), for appellant.

Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Anna Notchick of counsel), for respondent.

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Brendan Lantry, J., at plea; Ann D. Thompson, J., at sentencing), rendered October 31, 2023, convicting defendant of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, and sentencing him to a term of two years, unanimously modified, as a matter 0f discretion in the interest of justice, to the extent of vacating the surcharge and fees imposed at sentencing, and otherwise affirmed.

Defendant made a valid waiver of his right to appeal (see People v Thomas, 34 NY3d 545 [2019], cert denied 589 US &mdash, 140 S Ct 2634 [2020]; People Bryant, 28 NY3d 1094, 1096 [2016]), which forecloses review of his excessive sentence claim. In any event, we perceive no basis for reducing the sentence.

Based on our own interest of justice powers, we vacate the mandatory surcharge and fees imposed on defendant at sentencing (see People v Chirinos, 190 AD3d 434 [1st Dept 2021]). We note that the People do not oppose this relief.

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.

ENTERED: October 3, 2024