People v. Sylvester

• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
• Writing for the Court: BELDOCK, P.J., dissents and votes to affirm with the following memorandum, in which BENJAMIN
• Citation: People v. Sylvester, 29 A.D.2d 985, 290 N.Y.S.2d 220 (N.Y. App. Div. 1968)
• Decision Date: 22 April 1968
• Parties: The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Joseph SYLVESTER, Appellant.

Page 220

290 N.Y.S.2d 220

29 A.D.2d 985

The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Joseph SYLVESTER, Appellant.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department.

April 22, 1968.

Aaron E. Koota, Dist. Atty., Kings County, for respondent; William I. Siegel, Asst. Dist. Atty., of counsel.

Anthony F. Marra, New York City, for defendant-appellant; Phylis Skloot Bamberger, New York City, of counsel.

Before BELDOCK, P.J., and RABIN, BENJAMIN, MUNDER and MARTUSCELLO, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

Judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County, dated November 7, 1963, convicting defendant of attempted robbery in the third degree, unarmed, and sentencing him to 2 1/2 to 5 years imprisonment, reversed, on the law and the facts, and indictment dismissed.

Defendant was indicted in Kings County on September 25, 1959, for robbery in the first degree, grand larceny in the first degree and assault in the second degree. He was arraigned on December 7, 1959, and pleaded not guilty. His case appeared on the trial calendar for April 4, 1960, and thereafter was marked ready and passed subject to the completion of the trial of a robbery indictment pending against him in the former County Court, Queens County. On May 9, 1960, the case was marked off the calendar because defendant had been committed to Matteawan State Hospital on May 2, 1960, by order of the County Court, Queens County. On August 24, 1962, defendant was released from Matteawan and remanded to Queens County, for trial on the indictment pending there. On December 19, 1962, defendant pleaded guilty in Supreme Court, Queens County, to robbery in the second degree, and on January 23, 1963, he was sentenced to serve 7 1/2 to 10 years in Sing Sing Prison.

Despite the fact that the Kings County District Attorney had filed a detainer at Matteawan on December 7, 1959, Matteawan failed to notify him that defendant had been issued a certificate of recovery and returned to Queens County. The Kings County District Attorney did not learn of defendant's release therefrom until January 31, 1963, when he was notified by the Warden of Sing Sing Prison that the defendant had commenced the service of the sentence imposed in Queens County. Defendant was not tried in Kings County until October 11, 1963, when he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in the third degree, unarmed.

In our opinion, the 14-month delay between the time defendant was released from Matteawan and the time he was tried in Kings County denied him due process and his right to a speedy trial under subdivision 1 of section 8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (see People v. Sylvester, 50 Misc.2d 677, 271 N.Y.S.2d 118; People v. Mudra, 12 Misc.2d 438, 177 N.Y.S.2d 224). Since both the District Attorney and the Matteawan officials are agents of the State, the fault of the Matteawan officials in not notifying the District Attorney as to defendant's release should not be charged to the prisoner, but to the State (People v. Masselli, 13 N.Y.2d 1, 240 N.Y.S.2d 976, 191 N.E.2d 457). The State has the duty of seeing that the defendant is speedily brought to trial (People v. Prosser, 309 N.Y. 353, 358--359, 130 N.E.2d 891, 894-- 895, 57 A.L.R.2d 295). The People have failed to establish good cause for the delay (Code Crim.Proc., § 668), and defendant in no manner waived his right to a speedy trial. His failure to demand final disposition of the charges under section 668--a of the Code of Criminal Procedure in no way waived this right (People v. Bryant, 12 N.Y.2d 719, 233 N.Y.S.2d 771, 186 N.E.2d 127; People v. Piscitello, 7 N.Y.2d 387, 198 N.Y.S.2d 273, 165 N.E.2d 849; People v. Segura, 6 N.Y.2d 936, 190 N.Y.S.2d 1004, 161 N.E.2d 216), nor did he waive it by pleading guilty (People v. Chirieleison, 3 N.Y.2d 170, 164 N.Y.S.2d 726, 143 N.E.2d 914). Accordingly, the indictment should be dismissed (People v. Piscitello, supra).

RABIN, MUNDER and MARTUSCELLO, JJ., concur.

BELDOCK, P.J., dissents and votes to affirm with the following...