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People v. Stewart

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 21, 1988
144 A.D.2d 601 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)

Opinion

November 21, 1988

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Sullivan, J.).


Ordered that the judgment, as amended, is affirmed.

The defendant contends that the trial court erred in summarily denying his motion to suppress identification testimony. We disagree. The record indicates that the defendant and the complainant were acquainted with one another and, therefore, the issue of suggestiveness was not relevant (see, People v. Tas, 51 N.Y.2d 915, 916; People v. Gissendanner, 48 N.Y.2d 543, 552). Under the circumstances extant at bar, the showup challenged by the defendant was in the nature of a confirmation rather than an identification (see, People v. Lang, 122 A.D.2d 226; People v Fleming, 109 A.D.2d 848).

On this appeal, the defendant has raised some doubt as to the substantive sufficiency of his guilty plea. Specifically, he claims that the plea of guilty was not knowingly and voluntarily entered. Having failed to object to the adequacy of the plea allocution before the Supreme Court, Kings County, the defendant has not preserved his claims for appellate review (see, CPL 470.05; People v. Hoke, 62 N.Y.2d 1022; People v. Pellegrino, 60 N.Y.2d 636). Furthermore, reversal in the interest of justice is not warranted because the record of the plea allocution establishes that it fully comported with the requirements of People v. Harris ( 61 N.Y.2d 9). The detailed factual recitation delivered in the defendant's own words established the requisite elements of attempted murder in the second degree.

Nor do we find that the sentence of 8 to 24 years' imprisonment which was imposed after a sentence of 10 to 20 years' imprisonment was vacated violated the terms of the plea agreement. During the change of plea proceedings the court promised to impose a minimum sentence of 8 to 16 years' and a maximum sentence of 10 to 20 years. However, the promised sentences could not legally be imposed because the defendant was neither a second felony offender when sentenced nor was the crime of attempted murder in the second degree an armed felony offense (CPL 1.20; see, People v. Newton, 138 A.D.2d 415). If a court is unable to impose the promised sentence, the defendant must be offered the opportunity to withdraw his plea and proceed to trial (see, People v. Pascal, 103 A.D.2d 757; People v. Wheeler, 91 A.D.2d 647). The defendant did not avail himself of the opportunity to withdraw his plea, and, therefore, may not now complain that his plea bargain was violated. The court imposed less than the original minimum term of imprisonment. Indeed, the defendant was benefited by the reduced minimum term because he became eligible for parole at an earlier date (Penal Law § 70.40). The longer maximum term was required for the sentence to be within legal parameters (Penal Law § 70.02 [a]; see, People v. Garcia, 121 A.D.2d 465, 466, affd 69 N.Y.2d 903; People v. Gillette, 33 A.D.2d 587; cf., People v. Miller, 65 N.Y.2d 502; People v Williams, 34 N.Y.2d 657). Bracken, J.P., Kunzeman, Weinstein and Kooper, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Stewart

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 21, 1988
144 A.D.2d 601 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)
Case details for

People v. Stewart

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. TRAVER STEWART…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Nov 21, 1988

Citations

144 A.D.2d 601 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)

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