Opinion
2014-01-22
PEOPLE of State of New York, respondent, v. Seledas WORRELL, appellant.
John F. Ryan, White Plains, N.Y. (Salvatore A. Gaetani of counsel), for appellant. Janet DiFiore, District Attorney, White Plains, N.Y. (John J. Carmody and Steven A. Bender of counsel), for respondent.
John F. Ryan, White Plains, N.Y. (Salvatore A. Gaetani of counsel), for appellant. Janet DiFiore, District Attorney, White Plains, N.Y. (John J. Carmody and Steven A. Bender of counsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from an order of the County Court, Westchester County (Cacace, J.), entered December 21, 2012, which, after a hearing, designated him a level two sex offender pursuant to Correction Law article 6–C.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
“A downward departure from a sex offender's presumptive risk level generally is warranted only where ‘there exists an aggravating or mitigating factor of a kind, or to a degree, that is otherwise not adequately taken into account’ by the Sex Offender Registration Act (hereinafter SORA) Guidelines” (People v. Martinez–Guzman, 109 A.D.3d 462, 462, 970 N.Y.S.2d 93, lv. denied22 N.Y.3d 854, 2013 WL 5716146, 2013 N.Y. Slip Op. 88896 [2013], quoting Sex Offender Registration Act: Risk Assessment Guidelines and Commentary at 4 [2006]; see People v. Fryer, 101 A.D.3d 835, 836, 955 N.Y.S.2d 407). “ ‘A defendant seeking a downward departure has the initial burden of (1) identifying, as a matter of law, an appropriate mitigating factor, namely, a factor which tends to establish a lower likelihood of reoffense or danger to the community and is of a kind, or to a degree, that is otherwise not adequately taken into account by the SORA Guidelines; and (2) establishing the facts in support of its existence by a preponderance of the evidence’ ” (People v. Martinez–Guzman, 109 A.D.3d at 462–463, 970 N.Y.S.2d 93, quoting People v. Fryer, 101 A.D.3d at 836, 955 N.Y.S.2d 407; see People v. Watson, 95 A.D.3d 978, 979, 944 N.Y.S.2d 584). “ ‘A sex offender's successful showing by a preponderance of the evidence of facts in support of an appropriate mitigating factor does not automatically result in the relief requested, but merely opens the door to the SORA court's exercise of its sound discretion upon further examination of all relevant circumstances' ” (People v. Harris, 93 A.D.3d 704, 706, 940 N.Y.S.2d 127, quoting People v. Wyatt, 89 A.D.3d 112, 127, 931 N.Y.S.2d 85; see People v. Martinez–Guzman, 109 A.D.3d at 463, 970 N.Y.S.2d 93).
Here, to the extent that the defendant established facts that might warrant a downward departure from his presumptive risk level designation, upon examining all of the relevant circumstances, the County Court providently exercised its discretion in denying the defendant's application for a downward departure ( see People v. Johnson, 109 A.D.3d 972, 973, 971 N.Y.S.2d 347; People v. Martinez–Guzman, 109 A.D.3d at 463, 970 N.Y.S.2d 93; People v. Carroll, 102 A.D.3d 848, 849, 959 N.Y.S.2d 503).
Under the circumstances of this case, the County Court providently exercised its discretion in denying the defendant's request, in effect, for an adjournment of the SORA hearing ( see People v. Santiago, 89 A.D.3d 911, 911, 932 N.Y.S.2d 718; People v. Sherard, 73 A.D.3d 537, 537, 903 N.Y.S.2d 3; People v. Di John, 48 A.D.3d 1302, 1303, 853 N.Y.S.2d 242).
Accordingly, the defendant was properly designated a level two sex offender. RIVERA, J.P., DICKERSON, LEVENTHAL and HALL, JJ., concur.