Opinion
2012-01-5
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Frank C. LEONE Jr., Appellant.
Constantine F. DeStefano, Albany, for appellant. Terry J. Wilhelm, District Attorney, Catskill (Danielle D. McIntosh of counsel), for respondent.
Constantine F. DeStefano, Albany, for appellant. Terry J. Wilhelm, District Attorney, Catskill (Danielle D. McIntosh of counsel), for respondent.
Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Greene County (Pulver Jr., J.), rendered June 15, 2010, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crimes of grand larceny in the fourth degree and forgery in the second degree.
Defendant waived indictment and agreed to be prosecuted by a superior court information charging him with grand larceny in the fourth degree and forgery in the second degree. He pleaded guilty to these charges and waived his right to appeal. In accordance with the terms of the plea agreement, defendant was sentenced to consecutive terms of 2 to 4 years in prison for each crime and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,965.13. Defendant now appeals.
Appellate counsel seeks to be relieved of his assignment of representing defendant upon the ground that there are no nonfrivolous issues to be raised on appeal. Based upon our review of the record, we disagree. We find at least one issue of arguable merit pertaining to the propriety of County Court's order of restitution that is not precluded by defendant's waiver of the right to appeal ( see People v. Tallman, 82 A.D.3d 1363, 1364, 918 N.Y.S.2d 391 [2011]; People v. Galietta, 64 A.D.3d 995, 881 N.Y.S.2d 918 [2010] ). Therefore, without passing judgment on the ultimate merit of this issue, we grant counsel's application and assign new counsel to address this issue and any others that the record may disclose ( see People v. Cruwys, 113 A.D.2d 979, 493 N.Y.S.2d 653 [1985], lv. denied 67 N.Y.2d 650, 499 N.Y.S.2d 1046, 490 N.E.2d 562 [1986]; see generally People v. Stokes, 95 N.Y.2d 633, 722 N.Y.S.2d 217, 744 N.E.2d 1153 [2001] ).
ORDERED that the decision is withheld, application to be relieved of assignment granted and new counsel to be assigned.