Opinion
649 KAH 20-01267
07-09-2021
The PEOPLE of the State of New York EX REL. Clifton PHILLIPS, Jr., Petitioner-Appellant, v. NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION, Respondent-Respondent.
WYOMING COUNTY-ATTICA LEGAL AID BUREAU, WARSAW (AMBER R. POULOS OF COUNSEL), FOR PETITIONER-APPELLANT. LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALBANY (FRANK BRADY OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT-RESPONDENT.
WYOMING COUNTY-ATTICA LEGAL AID BUREAU, WARSAW (AMBER R. POULOS OF COUNSEL), FOR PETITIONER-APPELLANT.
LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALBANY (FRANK BRADY OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT-RESPONDENT.
PRESENT: SMITH, J.P., PERADOTTO, CARNI, NEMOYER, AND WINSLOW, JJ.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
It is hereby ORDERED that said appeal is unanimously dismissed without costs. Memorandum: Petitioner appeals from a judgment dismissing his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The appeal has been rendered moot by petitioner's release from custody (see People ex rel. Dickerson v. Unger , 62 A.D.3d 1262, 1263, 877 N.Y.S.2d 727 [4th Dept. 2009], lv denied 12 N.Y.3d 716, 2009 WL 1851331 [2009] ), and the exception to the mootness doctrine does not apply in this case (see People ex rel. Stokes v. New York State Div. of Parole , 144 A.D.3d 1550, 1551, 40 N.Y.S.3d 333 [4th Dept. 2016], lv denied 28 N.Y.3d 915, 2017 WL 582221 [2017] ; People ex rel. Smith v. Cully , 112 A.D.3d 1316, 1317, 976 N.Y.S.2d 906 [4th Dept. 2013], lv denied 22 N.Y.3d 864, 2014 WL 1281944 [2014] ). Although this Court has the power to convert the habeas corpus proceeding into a CPLR article 78 proceeding, we decline to do so under the circumstances here (see Stokes , 144 A.D.3d at 1551, 40 N.Y.S.3d 333 ).