Opinion
2013-06-14
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Joe SEYMOUR, Defendant–Appellant.
Appeal from a judgment of the Onondaga County Court (William D. Walsh, J.), rendered October 6, 2009. The judgment convicted defendant, upon his plea of guilty, of criminal sexual act in the first degree. 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.
Appeal from a judgment of the Onondaga County Court (William D. Walsh, J.), rendered October 6, 2009. The judgment convicted defendant, upon his plea of guilty, of criminal sexual act in the first degree.
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.
MEMORANDUM:
On appeal from a judgment convicting him, upon his guilty plea, of criminal sexual act in the first degree (Penal Law § 130.50[4] ), defendant contends that his agreed upon sentence is illegal and that he must therefore be afforded the opportunity to withdraw his plea. We agree. Pursuant to the plea agreement, County Court sentenced defendant as a second violent felony offender to a determinate term of imprisonment of 12 years to be followed by a period of five years of postrelease supervision (PRS). As the People correctly concede, that sentence is illegal because the minimum period of PRS that could be imposed on defendant, as a second violent felony offender, is 10 years ( seePenal Law § 70.45[2–a][i] ). Thus, under the circumstances presented here, we modify the judgment by vacating the sentence, and we remit the matter to County Court to afford defendant the opportunity to withdraw his plea or be resentenced to a legal period of PRS ( see People v. Lee, 64 A.D.3d 1236, 1237, 881 N.Y.S.2d 355;see also People v. Griffin, 72 A.D.3d 1496, 1497, 899 N.Y.S.2d 771;People v. Motley [Appeal No. 3], 56 A.D.3d 1158, 1159, 867 N.Y.S.2d 809).
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously modified on the law by vacating the sentence and as modified the judgment is affirmed, and the matter is remitted to Onondaga County Court for further proceedings.