People v. Weaver

166 Misc. 2d 488, 634 N.Y.S.2d 968, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 512
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedOctober 19, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 166 Misc. 2d 488 (People v. Weaver) 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. Weaver, 166 Misc. 2d 488, 634 N.Y.S.2d 968, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 512 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Troy K. Webber, J.

The defendant, Barry Weaver, is charged with obstructing governmental administration (Penal Law § 195.05) and resist[489]*489ing arrest (Penal Law § 205.30). He now moves to (1) dismiss the accusatory instrument on speedy trial grounds pursuant to CPL 30.30 and 170.30, (2) compel the People to provide discovery and a bill of particulars, (3) suppress statements allegedly made by defendant or, in the alternative, for a hearing on their admissibility, (4) preclude the People from introducing testimony regarding defendant’s prior criminal history or prior uncharged criminal, vicious or immoral conduct, (5) allow defendant to make additional motions as necessary, and (6) obtain such other and further relief as to this court may seem just and proper.

MOTION TO DISMISS PURSUANT TO CPL 30.30

On January 21, 1995, defendant was issued a desk appearance ticket (hereinafter referred to as DAT) which required that he appear in AR-2 on March 15, 1995. The defendant maintains that he appeared on that date and was directed to the DAT clerk’s office, room M-38, where the matter was adjourned or rescheduled for April 19, 1995. A copy of defendant’s copy of his DAT has been annexed to defendant’s moving papers. Defendant’s copy reflects that the date of March 15, 1995 is crossed out and the date of April 19, 1995 is inserted.

Defendant states that he returned on April 19, 1995 and was instructed to return on May 17, 1995. The People argue that defendant offers no "proof” of this appearance. However, it should be noted that the case was calendared for May 17, 1995 and defendant was arraigned on that date. If defendant did not appear on April 19, 1995, the question becomes, why then did he appear on May 17, 1995.

Defendant argues that his "appearance” on March 15, 1995 constituted an "appearance” for the purposes of CPL 30.30 (5) (b), and that the speedy trial clock began to run from that date.

The People, while apparently not disputing the facts as alleged by defendant, argue that defendant’s presence at the DAT clerk’s office, room M-38, did not constitute an "appearance” for the purposes of CPL 30.30 (5) (b). This court disagrees.

CPL 30.30 (1) (b) provides that the People must be ready for trial within 90 days of includable time from the commencement of the action where the highest level of offense charged is a class "A” misdemeanor. As stated above, defendant is [490]*490charged, inter alia, with obstructing governmental administration (Penal Law § 195.05), a class "A” misdemeanor.

The pertinent part of CPL 30.30 (5) (b) reads as follows: "(b) where a defendant has been served with an appearance ticket, the criminal action must be deemed to have commenced on the date the defendant first appears in a local criminal court in response to the ticket.”

Based upon the foregoing, this court finds that defendant "appeared” in response to the DAT on March 15, 1995, and the action commenced on that date. Since the People had 90 days, from March 15, 1995, in which to answer ready for trial and they did not do so until June 23, 1995 — some 130 days later— defendant’s motion to dismiss pursuant to CPL 30.30 is granted. (See, e.g., People v Parris, 79 NY2d 69 [where defendant does not attempt to appear, due diligence on the part of the People need not be shown]; People v Velie, 193 AD2d 1107 [defendant appeared, however, the People were not ready]; People v Vescur, 134 Misc 2d 574; People v Kwan Han, 166 Misc 2d 246 [Crim Ct, Bronx County] [Daniels, J.] [where defendant appeared on the return date of the DAT, the People are charged with the time until an instrument is docketed and defendant is arraigned].)

Unfortunately, this is not the first case where a DAT has resulted in the presence of a defendant without a commensurate arraignment on the charges and, therefore, no official start of the proceedings. For some undisclosed reason, it has become almost common practice for the People not to file a complaint by the return date stated in the DAT.

In response to this problem, the Bronx District Attorney’s office in conjunction with the police department and the court clerk have devised a procedure whereby a sign is posted on the door of AR-2 instructing defendants that if his or her name is not on the calendar then he or she should proceed to room M-38. There, a defendant is told whether an accusatory instrument has been filed. If none has been filed, then the defendant is given another date to return. The defendant is also told that he or she may call the personnel in M-38 prior to the adjourn date to learn whether the accusatory instrument has been filed. If there is no instrument, a new date may be given. Thus, under this procedure, a defendant need not even come to court until he or she is told that an instrument has been filed. These cases have been routinely rescheduled without any regard for the resulting prejudice to the defendant, the complainant, the prosecutor, as well as the People of the State of New York.

[491]*491In their response to defendant’s motion to dismiss, the People present the novel argument that since an information could not have been filed in room M-38, where defendant was present, defendant did not "appear” pursuant to CPL 150.40 (1)

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Related

People v. Marzban
172 Misc. 2d 987 (New York Supreme Court, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 Misc. 2d 488, 634 N.Y.S.2d 968, 1995 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 512, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-weaver-nycrimct-1995.