People v. Wilkes, 53 A.D.3d 1073 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dep't 2008). · Go Syfert
People v. Wilkes, 53 A.D.3d 1073 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dep't 2008). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
20 citation events (20 in the last 25 years) across 3 distinct courts.
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At page 1074 “so outrageously arbitrary as to constitute gross abuse of governmental authority”8 citing cases4 citing courts quote it
  • People v. Simmons (Willie), 85 Misc. 3d 126(A) (N.Y. App. Term. 2025).unpublished 3 cites
    Considering that defendant was already under a life-long obligation to register as a level-three sex offender as a result of a February 2009 conviction of attempted first-degree sexual abuse involving a nine year-old victim, as well as the…
  • People v. Wilgosz, 2023 NY Slip Op 00593 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dep't 2023).published
    In any event, we conclude that the contention lacks merit ( see People v Gallagher , 129 AD3d 1252, 1253 [3d Dept 2015], lv denied 26 NY3d 908 [2015]; People v Martin , 119 AD3d 1385 , 1385 [4th Dept 2014], lv denied 24 NY3d 906 [2014]; Pe…
  • People v. Scattareggia, 150 A.D.3d 1033 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2017).published
    Cor *1034 rection Law § 168-n (2) states that the court shall make its determination “thirty calendar days prior to [the offender’s] discharge, parole or release.” Correction Law § 168-1 (8) states: “A failure by a state or local agency or…
  • People v. Gonzalez, 138 A.D.3d 814 (N.Y. App. Div. 2d Dep't 2016).published
    Contrary to the defendant’s contention, the delay in holding the hearing to determine his risk level pursuant to SORA was not so outrageously arbitrary as to constitute a gross abuse of governmental authority (see People v Gallagher, 129 A…
  • People v. Gallagher, 129 A.D.3d 1252 (N.Y. App. Div. 3d Dep't 2015).published
    “It is well settled that SORA is regulatory rather than criminal in nature and is not intended to serve as a form of punishment” (P eople v Wilkes, 53 AD3d 1073, 1074 [2008], lv denied 11 NY3d 710 [2008] [citation omitted]; see People v Gr…
  • People v. Martin, 119 A.D.3d 1385 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dep't 2014).published 2 cites
    Contrary to defendant’s contention, the nearly six-year delay in rendering a risk classification determination did not deny him due process and was not “ ‘so outrageously arbitrary as to constitute gross abuse of governmental authority’ ”…
  • People v. Gregory, 71 A.D.3d 1559 (N.Y. App. Div. 4th Dep't 2010).published
    Although Correction Law § 168-Z (8) expressly provides that a failure by the court “to render a determination within the time period specified in [article 6-C] shall not affect the obligation of the sex offender to register,” we conclude t…
  • People v. Collier, 2024 NY Slip Op 00246 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dep't 2024).published 2 cites
    Correction Law § 168-l(8), however, states that "[a] failure by a state or local agency or the board to act or by a court to render a determination within the time period specified in this article shall not affect the obligation of the sex…
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
The People of the State of New York
v.
Harold Wilkes
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Jul 3, 2008.
Published opinion
53 A.D.3d 1073
Cited by 15 opinions  |  Published

Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Erie County (M. William Boiler, A.J.), entered April 30, 2007. The order determined that defendant is a level three risk pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act.

It is hereby ordered that the order so appealed from is unanimously affirmed without costs.

Memorandum: Defendant appeals from an order determining[*1074] that he is a level three risk pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act ([SORA] Correction Law § 168 et seq.). Defendant was convicted in July 1987 of attempted rape in the first degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 130.35 [1]), and he was sentenced to an indeterminate term of incarceration of 4 to 12 years. Although a SORA hearing was scheduled upon defendant’s conditional release in 1997, defendant did not appear at the hearing because he had been reincarcerated as the result of a parole violation. Following defendant’s conditional release in 1998, defendant was arrested later that year. He was then convicted of attempted rape in the first degree in 1999 based on that arrest and was sentenced to an additional term of incarceration. A SORA hearing was scheduled to be held in 2004, but Supreme Court determined that it was premature to determine defendant’s risk level for the 1987 conviction because defendant remained incarcerated on the 1999 conviction. In February 2007, the court conducted a SORA hearing with respect to the 1987 conviction and determined that defendant is a level three risk.

Contrary to the contention of defendant, he was not denied his right to due process based on the nine-year delay between his conditional release in 1998 and his final SORA determination in 2007. It is well settled that SORA is regulatory rather than criminal in nature and is not intended to serve as a form of punishment (see People v Stevens, 91 NY2d 270, 274-275 [1998]; People v Clark, 261 AD2d 97, 100 [2000], lv denied 95 NY2d 833 [2000]). Although pursuant to Correction Law § 168-n (2) the court shall make a SORA risk level determination within “thirty calendar days prior to the discharge, parole or release” of the sex offender, Correction Law § 168-Z (8) provides that “[a] failure by ... a court to render a determination within the time period specified in this article shall not affect the obligation of the sex offender to register . . . under , this article nor shall such failure prevent a court from making a determination regarding the sex offender’s level of notification.” Here, the court’s nine-year delay in determining defendant’s risk level based on the 1987 conviction was beyond the statutory time period, but we conclude that defendant was not denied his right to due process inasmuch as the delay was occasioned by his rearrest and subsequent conviction on another rape charge. Thus, the delay was not “so outrageously arbitrary &s to constitute gross abuse of governmental authority” (People v Meyers, 16 Misc 3d 115, 118 [2007]; see generally County of Sacramento v Lewis, 523 US 833, 845-847 [1998]).

We agree with defendant that the court erred in relying on his subsequent 1999 conviction to invoke a presumptive over[*1075] ride (see generally People v Milks, 28 AD3d 1163 [2006]), and that the court further erred in failing to set forth the findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which its determination was based, as required by Correction Law § 168-n (3). We conclude, however, that the court properly determined that defendant is a level three risk. The record is sufficient to permit this Court to make its own findings of fact and conclusions of law (see People v Pardo, 50 AD3d 992 [2008]; cf. People v Millar, 39 AD3d 1181 [2007]). Here, defendant was presumptively classified as a level three risk based on the total risk factor score on the risk assessment instrument, and the People presented clear and convincing evidence to support the level three classification by submitting, inter alia, the case summary and the presentence report (see Pardo, 50 AD3d 992 [2008]; see also People v Craig, 45 AD3d 1365 [2007], lv denied 10 NY3d 702 [2008]).

We have reviewed defendant’s remaining contentions and conclude that they are without merit. Present—Martoche, J.P., Smith, Centra, Lunn and Pine, JJ.