People v. Adams

• Decision Date: 14 September 2017
• Citation: 153 A.D.3d 1449,61 N.Y.S.3d 703
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Thomas A. ADAMS, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

153 A.D.3d 1449

61 N.Y.S.3d 703

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Thomas A. ADAMS, Appellant.

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

Sept. 14, 2017.

Brian M. Quinn, Albany, for appellant.

Karen Heggen, District Attorney, Ballston Spa (Gordon W. Eddy of counsel), for respondent.

Before: McCARTHY, J.P., GARRY, ROSE, DEVINE and CLARK, JJ.

CLARK, J.

Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Saratoga County (Sypniewski, J.), rendered September 21, 2015, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crime of burglary in the third degree (two counts).

Defendant waived indictment and agreed to be charged in a superior court information with two counts of burglary in the third degree. In accordance with a plea agreement, defendant pleaded guilty to these crimes in satisfaction of the superior court information, as well as other pending charges, and also waived his right to appeal. Pursuant to the plea agreement, defendant was to be sentenced to two consecutive sentences of 1 ? to 4 years in prison and pay restitution in the amount of $41,760. During the plea proceedings, County Court administered a Parker admonishment advising defendant that, if he were to be arrested prior to sentencing, the court would not be bound by the agreed-upon sentence. Before sentencing, defendant was arrested and charged with strangulation in the second degree and assault in the third degree. County Court thereafter imposed an enhanced prison sentence of 1 ? to 4 years in prison on one conviction of burglary in the third degree and 2 to 6 years in prison on the second conviction, with the sentences to run consecutively, and ordered defendant to pay $41,760 in restitution. Defendant now appeals.

We affirm. Initially, we reject defendant's contention that his waiver of the right to appeal was invalid. The record confirms that County Court distinguished the right to appeal from the rights automatically forfeited by a guilty plea. Defendant acknowledged his understanding of the ramifications of the waiver and executed a detailed written waiver with counsel in open court. Accordingly, defendant validly waived his right to appeal (see People v. McCall, 146 A.D.3d 1156, 1157, 44 N.Y.S.3d 795 [2017], lvs. denied 29 N.Y.3d 1033, 1034, 62 N.Y.S.3d 302, 84 N.E.3d 974 [2017] ; People v. Hernandez, 140 A.D.3d 1521, 1522, 34 N.Y.S.3d 698 [2016], lv. denied 28 N.Y.3d 971, 43 N.Y.S.3d 258, 66 N.E.3d 4 [2016] ).

Defendant's challenge to the voluntariness of his plea and his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel survive his appeal waiver, but are unpreserved for our review, as there is no indication in the record that he made an appropriate postallocution motion (see People v. Cox, 146 A.D.3d 1154, 1154, 46 N.Y.S.3d 693 [2017] ; People v. Kormos, 126 A.D.3d 1039, 1040, 4 N.Y.S.3d 390 [2015] ). As to the plea, the narrow exception to the preservation requirement was triggered when defendant claimed that the location of the crime charged in the second count of the superior court information was not a building, potentially negating an element of the charged crime (see Penal Law § 140.20 ). County Court, however, made a further inquiry into defendant's claim and, following a brief discussion during which defense counsel conceded that the structure in question constituted a building within the meaning of the statute (see Penal Law § 140.00[2] ), the court confirmed that defendant understood and that his plea was voluntary (see People v. Ahrens, 145 A.D.3d 1322, 1322, 42 N.Y.S.3d 870 [2016], lvs. denied 28 NY3d 1181, 1187, 52 N.Y.S.3d 708, 714, 75 N.E.3d 100, 106 [2017] ; People v. English, 100 A.D.3d 1147, 1148, 953 N.Y.S.2d 722 [2012] ).

As to defendant's challenge to the amount of restitution ordered, the record reflects that the terms of the plea agreement included restitution in the specific amount ordered, and defendant did not request a hearing or otherwise challenge the amount at sentencing. Accordingly, defendant's challenge is both precluded by his appeal waiver and unpreserved for our review (see People v. Hall, 135 A.D.3d 1246, 1246, 23 N.Y.S.3d 725 [2016], lv. denied 27 N.Y.3d 998, 38 N.Y.S.3d 108, 59 N.E.3d 1220 [2016] ; People v. Campo, 125 A.D.3d 1058, 1059, 999 N.Y.S.2d 774 [2015], ...