People v. Larock

211 A.D.3d 1234

179 N.Y.S.3d 812

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Donald C. LAROCK, Appellant.

112240

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

Calendar Date: November 16, 2022

Decided and Entered: December 15, 2022

Lisa A. Burgess, Indian Lake, for appellant.

Kristy L. Sprague, District Attorney, Elizabethtown (Kevin P. Mallery of counsel), for respondent.

Before: Egan Jr., J.P., Lynch, Aarons, Reynolds Fitzgerald and McShan, JJ.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

Aarons, J.

Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Essex County (Richard B. Meyer, J.), rendered November 26, 2019, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crimes of hindering prosecution in the first degree and tampering with physical evidence.

In satisfaction of a four-count indictment stemming from his conduct in connection with a murder and the investigation thereof, defendant pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution in the first degree and tampering with physical evidence and waived his right to appeal. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, County Court conditionally committed to imposing concurrent sentences of 364 days in jail. Prior to being released from custody pending sentencing, the court admonished defendant that it would not be bound by the terms of the plea agreement, could impose the maximum prison term for each crime – of which defendant had been informed – and would not provide defendant an opportunity to withdraw his plea if he did not abide by various expressed conditions, including that he reside in the Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County until sentencing and that he "cooperate fully, completely and truthfully" with the Probation Department in preparation of the presentence report.

Based upon information that defendant may have violated those conditions, an Outley hearing ( People v. Outley, 80 N.Y.2d 702, 713, 594 N.Y.S.2d 683, 610 N.E.2d 356 [1993] ) was held, at which defendant and the probation supervisor who interviewed defendant and prepared the presentence report testified. At the conclusion of the hearing, County Court determined that defendant failed to comply with certain conditions of the plea agreement and, finding that it was no longer bound by the terms of the plea agreement, imposed an enhanced sentence of 2 to 7 years in prison on the conviction of hindering prosecution and a consecutive prison term of 1? to 4 years on the conviction of tampering with physical evidence. Defendant appeals.

Defendant's contention that County Court impermissibly imposed an enhanced sentence is without merit. Initially, defendant is not precluded by the unchallenged appeal waiver, regardless of its validity, from raising this issue (see People v. Turner, 158 A.D.3d 892, 893, 70 N.Y.S.3d 610 [3d Dept. 2018] ). A court may impose an enhanced sentence when it is established that the defendant violated an express condition of the plea agreement (see People v. Woods, 150 A.D.3d 1560, 1561, 55 N.Y.S.3d 780 [3d Dept. 2017], lv denied 29 N.Y.3d 1095, 63 N.Y.S.3d 12, 85 N.E.3d 107 [2017] ), including a condition that the defendant cooperate truthfully in answering questions during a Probation Department interview (see People v. Ackley, 192 A.D.3d 1203, 1204, 143 N.Y.S.3d 452 [3d Dept. 2021] ; People v. Takie, 172 A.D.3d 1249, 1250, 101 N.Y.S.3d 141 [2d Dept. 2019], lv denied 33 N.Y.3d 1109, 106 N.Y.S.3d 654, 130 N.E.3d 1264 [2019] ). Before imposing an enhanced sentence, however, due process requires that a sufficient inquiry be conducted by the court in order for it to determine that the plea conditions were indeed violated by the defendant (see People v. Valencia, 3 N.Y.3d 714, 715, 786 N.Y.S.2d 374, 819 N.E.2d 990 [2004] ; People v. Ackley, 192 A.D.3d at 1205, 143 N.Y.S.3d 452 ).

The record establishes that County Court specifically advised defendant that it would not be bound by the sentencing commitment if, as is relevant here, defendant did not "cooperate fully,...