People v Butler |
2020 NY Slip Op 06412 [188 AD3d 1351] |
November 12, 2020 |
Appellate Division, Third Department |
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau
pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
As corrected through Wednesday, December 30, 2020 |
[*1]
(November 12, 2020)
The People of the State of New York,
Respondent, v Arthur Butler, Appellant. |
Lindsay H. Kaplan, Kingston, for appellant.
Jason J. Kovacs, Special Prosecutor, Kingston, for respondent.
Pritzker, J. Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Ulster County (Williams, J.),
rendered December 13, 2017, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crime of
criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.
Defendant was charged in an indictment with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the
third degree. During the plea discussions that ensued, the Special Prosecutor agreed to reduce the
charge to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and to recommend a
sentence of 31/2 years in prison, which was six months less than the four-year
maximum. County Court agreed to a reduction of the charge, but announced that it would impose
the maximum sentence of four years in prison. In response, defense counsel confirmed that, if
defendant pleaded guilty to the reduced charge, he understood that a four-year prison term would
be imposed. County Court then advised the parties that the sentence also included a two-year
period of postrelease supervision. With the terms of the plea agreement set forth on the record,
defendant pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and
waived his right to appeal. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison, followed by
two years of postrelease supervision. Defendant appeals.
Initially, defendant contends that the Special Prosecutor breached the terms of the plea
agreement by not recommending that he be sentenced to 31/2 years in prison.
Although the Special Prosecutor failed to make this recommendation at sentencing, there was no
breach of the plea agreement as County Court did not make a commitment to be bound by this
recommendation and clearly indicated that it would sentence defendant to the maximum of four
years in prison (see generally People v
Thompson, 79 AD3d 1457, 1457-1458 [2010]; People v McLean, 59 AD3d 859, 860 [2009]). Moreover, contrary
to defendant's claim, the record discloses that he was fully advised that the sentence that was part
of the plea agreement included a two-year period of postrelease supervision, and he was
sentenced in accordance therewith (see
People v Pendelton, 81 AD3d 1037, 1038 [2011], lv denied 16 NY3d 898
[2011]). Therefore, inasmuch as defendant entered a knowing, intelligent and voluntary guilty
plea, we find no reason to disturb the judgment of conviction.
Lynch, J.P., Mulvey, Devine and Colangelo, JJ., concur. Ordered that the judgment is
affirmed.