People v. Alston

1 Citing case

  1. People v. Burke

    349 N.E.2d 870 (N.Y. 1976)   Cited 5 times

    Thus, a statement of reasons gives greater assurance that a sentence is the result of careful deliberation. The need to formulate and record an explanation, no matter how rationalized, willy-nilly introduces an element of judicial accountability which almost compels objectivity. It also makes more likely the revelation of erroneous reliance on grounds which, no matter how well intentioned, may be arbitrary or impermissible. Until now, most sentencing judgments have been unaccompanied by any overt analysis to help affected defendants, or society, or even our intermediate appellate courts, entrusted as they are with the power to renew sentences (e.g., People v Piacentine, 47 A.D.2d 663; People v Alston, 47 A.D.2d 761), better understand how particular sentences were arrived at. (See Robinson, Defendant Needs to Know, Fed Prob, Dec., 1962, p 3; see ABA Standards, Appellate Review of Sentences, § 2.3, Comment, pp 45, 46 [1968].