Opinion
498 KA 17-01892
05-01-2020
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, RESPONDENT, v. MATTHEW A. MCCRACKEN, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.
THE LEGAL AID BUREAU OF BUFFALO, INC., BUFFALO (SUSAN C. MINISTERO OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT. LAWRENCE FRIEDMAN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BATAVIA (SHIRLEY A. GORMAN OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., SMITH, CARNI, NEMOYER, AND CURRAN, JJ.
THE LEGAL AID BUREAU OF BUFFALO, INC., BUFFALO (SUSAN C. MINISTERO OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.
LAWRENCE FRIEDMAN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BATAVIA (SHIRLEY A. GORMAN OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
Appeal from a judgment of the Genesee County Court (Charles N. Zambito, J.), rendered August 15, 2017. The judgment convicted defendant upon his plea of guilty of attempted arson in the second degree.
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.
Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon his plea of guilty of attempted arson in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 150.15). Defendant's contention that his guilty plea was not knowing, voluntary, and intelligent survives the valid waiver of the right to appeal and is preserved for our review by his sentencing letter, which County Court construed as a motion to withdraw the plea (see People v Dames, 122 AD3d 1336, 1336 [4th Dept 2014], lv denied 25 NY3d 1162 [2015]). Defendant's assertions on appeal that he was coerced into taking the Alford plea are belied by his responses to the court's searching inquiries during the plea colloquy (see id.).
Entered: May 1, 2020
Mark W. Bennett
Clerk of the Court