People v. Willingham

195 Misc. 2d 241, 758 N.Y.S.2d 780, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 233
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 14, 2003
StatusPublished

This text of 195 Misc. 2d 241 (People v. Willingham) 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. Willingham, 195 Misc. 2d 241, 758 N.Y.S.2d 780, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 233 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2003).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

John M. Leventhal, J.

The defendant was indicted for various crimes allegedly perpetrated against his girlfriend. The top count remaining in the indictment was for class E nonviolent felonies, attempted assault in the second degree and criminal contempt in the first degree, carrying a maximum term of imprisonment of four [242]*242years. The defendant had been committed on numerous occasions to the custody of Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center under a series of commitment orders for a total period in excess of 1,125 days.

The defendant had moved, sans opposition, to dismiss this indictment pursuant to CPL 730.50 (3) and (4) when the defendant was still under a commitment order. The court granted the motion and dismissed the indictment in a written order dated February 11, 2003 as the defendant had been in the custody of the Commissioner of Mental Health for a period of approximately three years which was in excess of “two-thirds of the authorized maximum term of imprisonment for the highest class felony charged in the indictment.” (CPL 710.50 [3].) The defendant is now being held under a civil commitment brought under article 9 of the Mental Hygiene Law (see, CPL 730.70).

¡. The issue of first impression before this court is whether the defendant’s records and the court file should be sealed pursuant to CPL 160.50.

An accused whose case was dismissed prior to trial or an acquittee has no constitutional right to have court records sealed. (See, Matter of Charles Q. v Constantine, 85 NY2d 571, 575 [1995]; People v Patterson, 78 NY2d 711, 715 [1991].) “The right to a sealing of court records is purely statutory.” (Matter of Anonymous, 174 Misc 2d 333, 336 [1997], citing Charles Q. and Patterson, supra.)

CPL 160.50 (3) enumerates when “a criminal action or proceeding against a person shall be considered terminated in favor of such person”

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Related

Jackson v. Indiana
406 U.S. 715 (Supreme Court, 1972)
People v. Schaffer
657 N.E.2d 1305 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
CHARLES Q. v. Constantine
650 N.E.2d 839 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. Patterson
587 N.E.2d 255 (New York Court of Appeals, 1991)
People v. Lewis
742 N.E.2d 601 (New York Court of Appeals, 2000)
In re Anonymous
174 Misc. 2d 333 (New York Supreme Court, 1997)
People v. Schleyer
192 Misc. 2d 113 (Rochester City Court, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
195 Misc. 2d 241, 758 N.Y.S.2d 780, 2003 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-willingham-nysupct-2003.