People v. Hawkins

• Decision Date: 20 April 2012
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Charles HAWKINS, Defendant–Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 03008

94 A.D.3d 1439

942 N.Y.S.2d 300

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Charles HAWKINS, Defendant–Appellant.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York.

April 20, 2012.

Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society, Syracuse (Christine M. Cook of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant.

William J. Fitzpatrick, District Attorney, Syracuse (James P. Maxwell of Counsel), for Respondent.

PRESENT: SCUDDER, P.J., SMITH, FAHEY, AND SCONIERS, JJ.

MEMORANDUM:

Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon his plea of guilty of attempted robbery in the first degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 160.15[3] ). We agree with defendant that his “waiver of his right to appeal was invalid because [County Court] conflated the appeal waiver with the rights automatically waived by the guilty plea” ( People v. Martin, 88 A.D.3d 473, 474, 931 N.Y.S.2d 7; see People v. Tate, 83 A.D.3d 1467, 1467, 919 N.Y.S.2d 919; People v. Daniels, 68 A.D.3d 1711, 1712, 891 N.Y.S.2d 815, lv. denied 14 N.Y.3d 887, 903 N.Y.S.2d 775, 929 N.E.2d 1010; see generally People v. Moyett, 7 N.Y.3d 892, 892–893, 826 N.Y.S.2d 597, 860 N.E.2d 59). Thus, contrary to the People's contentions, defendant's remaining challenges are not encompassed by that waiver.

Defendant contends that, because he did not personally recite the elements of the offense to which he pleaded guilty and gave monosyllabic responses to the court's questions during the plea allocution, the plea colloquy does not sufficiently establish that he understood the nature of the offense to which he was pleading guilty and thus casts doubt upon the voluntariness of his plea. Those contentions are actually addressed to the factual sufficiency of the plea allocution, and defendant failed to preserve them for our review by moving to withdraw the plea or to vacate the judgment of conviction ( see People v. Lopez, 71 N.Y.2d 662, 665, 529 N.Y.S.2d 465, 525 N.E.2d 5; People v. Jamison, 71 A.D.3d 1435, 1436, 896 N.Y.S.2d 780, lv. denied 14 N.Y.3d 888, 903 N.Y.S.2d 777, 929 N.E.2d 1012; People v. Bailey, 49 A.D.3d 1258, 1259, 852 N.Y.S.2d 892, lv. denied 10 N.Y.3d 932, 862 N.Y.S.2d 338, 892 N.E.2d 404). This case does not fall within the narrow exception to the preservation requirement set forth in Lopez, 71 N.Y.2d at 666, 529 N.Y.S.2d 465, 525 N.E.2d 5. In addition, “[d]efendant failed to preserve for our review his further contention concerning the failure to comply with the procedural requirements set forth in CPL 400.21” ( People v. Thompson, 83 A.D.3d 1535, 1536, 921 N.Y.S.2d 577; see People v. Pellegrino, 60 N.Y.2d 636, 637, 467 N.Y.S.2d 355, 454 N.E.2d 938; People v. Dorrah, 50 A.D.3d 1619, 856 N.Y.S.2d 406, lv. denied 11 N.Y.3d 736, 864 N.Y.S.2d 394, 894 N.E.2d 658). We decline to exercise our power to review that contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice ( see CPL 470.15[6][a] ).

Contrary to defendant's further contention, “there is no evidence in the record indicating an abuse of discretion by the court in denying the motion for substitution of counsel [where, as here, the] defendant failed to proffer specific allegations of a ‘seemingly serious request’ that would require the court to engage in a minimal inquiry” ( People v. Porto, 16 N.Y.3d 93, 100–101, 917 N.Y.S.2d 74, 942 N.E.2d 283; see People v. Beriguette, 84 N.Y.2d 978, 980, 622 N.Y.S.2d 497, 646 N.E.2d 799, rearg. denied 85 N.Y.2d 924, 627 N.Y.S.2d 326, 650 N.E.2d 1328; People v. Sides, 75 N.Y.2d 822, 824, 552 N.Y.S.2d 555, 551 N.E.2d 1233). With respect to defendant's contention that he received ineffective assistance of counsel, it is well settled that, “[i]n the context of a guilty plea, a defendant has been afforded meaningful representation when he or she receives an advantageous plea and nothing in the record casts doubt on the apparent effectiveness of counsel” ( People v. Ford, 86 N.Y.2d 397, 404, 633 N.Y.S.2d 270, 657 N.E.2d 265). Here, “[t]o the extent that the contention of defendant survives his plea[ ] of guilty” ( People v. McCoy, 21 A.D.3d 1275, 1276, 801 N.Y.S.2d 175, lv. denied 6 N.Y.3d 756, 810 N.Y.S.2d 424, 843 N.E.2d 1164; see People v. Burke, 256 A.D.2d 1244, 682 N.Y.S.2d 650, lv. denied 93 N.Y.2d 851, 688...