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People v. Gordon

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Nov 2, 1989
155 A.D.2d 225 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)

Opinion

November 2, 1989

Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Leslie C. Snyder, J.).


On June 27, 1986 defendant, having entered a plea of guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell in the fifth degree, was given a split sentence of six months in prison and five years' probation. More than one year later, on July 28, 1987, defendant pleaded guilty to violation of probation and in the judgment here appealed was sentenced to a 1-to-3-year term, which term was to run consecutively to a sentence of 1 1/2 to 3 years on an unrelated Bronx County third degree burglary conviction. At the time defendant was sentenced for violation of probation the court did not have before it an updated presentencing report.

It is well established that before sentencing a defendant convicted of a felony, the court must order, receive and, of course, consider a current presentencing report (CPL 390.20; People v Selikoff, 35 N.Y.2d 227, 238, cert denied 419 U.S. 1122; People v Andujar, 110 A.D.2d 606, 607; People v Laster, 140 A.D.2d 233; People v Saez, 121 A.D.2d 947, 948, affd 69 N.Y.2d 802). Where, as here, the defendant is sentenced for violation of probation, the presentencing report upon which the probationary sentence was based must ordinarily be updated to reflect any changes in the defendant's circumstances relevant to the new sentence (see, People v Bellis, 115 A.D.2d 237; People v Jackson, 106 A.D.2d 93, 98; People v Stanton, 96 A.D.2d 652; for exceptions, see, e.g., People v Tyrrell, 101 A.D.2d 946, 947; People v Brand, 138 A.D.2d 966, 967). It cannot be presumed that the original report remains current, particularly when a substantial period, here 13 months, has passed since the probationary sentence was imposed.

Although it is conceded that no updated presentencing report was prepared, the People urge that a June 18, 1987 presentencing report prepared in connection with defendant's third degree burglary conviction in The Bronx was the functional equivalent of an updated report. However, there is no evidence, and we may not assume that the June 18, 1987 Bronx County report was before the court in this unrelated New York County matter (see, People v Jackson, 106 A.D.2d, supra, at 98-99).

As we have determined that defendant must be resentenced, we do not reach his contention that the sentence imposed was excessive (see, People v Halaby, 77 A.D.2d 717, 718).

Concur — Murphy, P.J., Sullivan, Carro, Milonas and Smith, JJ.


Summaries of

People v. Gordon

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Nov 2, 1989
155 A.D.2d 225 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)
Case details for

People v. Gordon

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. LEO GORDON, Also Known…

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

Date published: Nov 2, 1989

Citations

155 A.D.2d 225 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)
546 N.Y.S.2d 374

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