People v. Wroten

286 A.D.2d 189, 732 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2001 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10662
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 9, 2001
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 286 A.D.2d 189 (People v. Wroten) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State 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. Wroten, 286 A.D.2d 189, 732 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2001 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10662 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Kehoe, J.

Defendant, a convicted sex offender, appeals from an amended order determining that he is a “level three” risk under the Sex Offender Registration Act ([SORA] Correction Law § 168 et seq.). As a matter of first impression at the appellate level, we must determine whether County Court, on the People’s request for reconsideration of a prior order determining defendant to be a “level two risk,” had statutory or inherent authority to depart from its prior order and make a new determination. We conclude that the court was authorized to reconsider or correct its determination of risk level under SORA based on further argument by the People and/or additional information provided by them.

I

On May 22, 1998, the 37-year-old defendant was convicted of rape in the third degree (Penal Law § 130.25 [former (2)]) for having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to an indeterminate term of incarceration of IV2 to 3 years. On April 4, 2000, in anticipation of his discharge from incarceration, defendant was remanded to County Court for determination of his risk level pursuant to Correction Law §§ 168-/ and 168-n. Under SORA, an offender’s risk level determines the duration and intensity of “registration” (i.e., monitoring of the offender) and “notification” (i.e., dissemination of information about the offender) {see, Correction Law §§ 168-f, 168-h, 168-/ [6]). Risk level is determined based on various factors, including “criminal history factors indicative of [191]*191high risk of repeat offense * * * [and] other criminal history factors to be considered in determining risk, including * * * the number, date and nature of prior offenses” (Correction Law § 168-Z [5] [a], [b] [iii] [emphasis supplied]). Pursuant to that scheme, County Court conducted a hearing (see, Correction Law § 168-n [3]) at which it heard argument and considered the following materials:

(1) A “risk assessment instrument” containing the recommendation of the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders (see, Correction Law § 168-Z [6]; § 168-n [l]-[3]) and scoring defendant based on 15 “risk factors” (see, Correction Law § 168-Z [5]) related to his 1998 conviction and criminal history. That instrument awarded defendant a score of 105, at the high end of the level two or “[m]oderate” risk classification. That score included 15 points under risk factor 9, relating to the “[n]umber and [n]ature” of defendant’s “[p]rior [c]rimes,” in particular, defendant’s “[p]rior history/non-violent felony.” The instrument indicates that defendant would have received 30 points rather than 15 if his criminal history were known to have included a “[p]rior violent felony1 or misdemeanor sex crime or endangering welfare of a child.”

(2) An attached case summary indicating that defendant had a prior “felony conviction[ ] for [b]urglary in South Carolina,” but stating that “it is unknown if the out of state conviction would constitute a violent felony offense.”

(3) A presentence investigation (PSI) report indicating that defendant had been convicted in South Carolina in 1989 of burglary in the first degree, a felony, but otherwise revealing nothing about the nature of that offense or its underlying facts.

During the hearing on April 4, the People argued that defendant should be classified as a level three risk because the risk assessment form had overlooked certain factors. They argued that, under risk factor 9, defendant should receive an additional 15 points (for a total of 30 rather than 15) for the number and nature of his prior crimes, to take into account his prior commission of a violent felony. Based on the record before [192]*192the court and the provisions of the South Carolina statute, the People argued that defendant’s South Carolina conviction was for the burglary of a dwelling, the New York equivalent of which is a violent felony. In opposition, defendant argued that the record did not indicate “whether there was any actual violence in the defendant’s felony history as opposed to violent felony status attached to residential burglary in the State of New York.” In rebuttal, the People reiterated that the South Carolina burglary was of a dwelling, that a residential burglary is classified as a violent felony in New York, and that the Risk Assessment Guidelines and Commentary indicate that “[t]he term violent felony, as used in the guideline, has the same meaning as in * * * Penal Law § 70.02 (1).” The People again asked that defendant be classified as a level three risk.

In its decision of April 4, the court classified defendant as a level two risk, although, in the court’s words, the People had made “a good argument for why [the presumptive determination] should be modified upward.” An order to that effect was signed that day and entered two days later.

On April 5, 2000, in the meantime, the People received documents from South Carolina, including a supporting affidavit and arrest warrant (one paper), an indictment, and a sentencing commitment order. Those documents show that defendant initially was charged with first degree (i.e., nighttime) burglary in violation of South Carolina Code Annotated § 16-11-311, was later indicted for burglary in the second degree in violation of South Carolina Code Annotated § 16-11-312, subsequently pleaded guilty to that indictment, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and apparently served 30 months of that term. Those documents further show that South Carolina’s offense of burglary in the second degree, like New York’s, consists of unlawfully entering a dwelling with intent to commit a crime therein.2 The supporting affidavit by the burglary victim describes the offense as follows:

“[Defendant] did enter into the residence of [the victim] with intent to commit a crime, in that he did enter into the bedroom of a 12 yr old female and did feel her body and did make an effort to get this 12 yr old girl to have sex with him.
“Entrance into this residence was at 4:30 AM in the night time.”

[193]*193On April 10, 2000, before any appeal had been taken from the April 4 order, the People apprised the court of the new information, writing:

“Defendant should have received 30 points under factor number 9 for a prior violent felony. Furthermore * * * this should be considered to be a prior felony sex offense that would result in an automatic override. In any event, the People of the State of New York hereby request that the Court reconsider its finding of April 4, 2000, and make a determination that this Defendant is a level three sex offender” (emphasis supplied).

On May 4, 2000, defendant wás again remanded to County Court for what the court characterized as “a re-evaluation of the sexual offender level based upon the papers that were received after the original level was set” (emphasis supplied). Defendant argued that, under the circumstances, and pursuant to the limitations of Correction Law § 168-o (3), the People lacked authority to seek, and the court lacked the power to grant, a “modification” of the court’s “final” determination (emphasis supplied). The People argued that Correction Law § 168-o (3) does not apply to this case and thus does not limit the authority of either the People or the court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
286 A.D.2d 189, 732 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2001 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-wroten-nyappdiv-2001.