People v Fareira
2011 NY Slip Op 00205 [80 AD3d 589]
January 11, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
As corrected through Wednesday, March 9, 2011


The People of the State of New York, Respondent,
v
Robert Fareira, Appellant.

[*1] Steven Banks, New York, N.Y. (Joanne Legano Ross of counsel), for appellant.

Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove and Morgan J. Dennehy of counsel; Leah Rabinowitz on the brief), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Sullivan, J.), dated April 29, 2009, which, after a hearing, designated him a level three sex offender pursuant to Correction Law article 6-C.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

The People established, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant had been previously convicted of two felony sex crimes. Therefore, he was presumptively a level three sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act by application of "automatic override number one" in his Risk Assessment Instrument, which override addresses a prior felony conviction for a sex crime (see Correction Law art 6-C; see generally People v King, 74 AD3d 1162 [2010]). The party seeking a downward departure from the presumptive risk level has the burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that there are mitigating factors "of a kind, or to a degree, that [are] otherwise not adequately taken into account" by the guidelines (Sex Offender Registration Act: Risk Assessment Guidelines and Commentary, at 4 [2006]; see People v King, 74 AD3d 1162 [2010]; People v Pietarniello, 53 AD3d 475, 478 [2008]; People v Sam, 67 AD3d 876, 876-877 [2009]). Here, the defendant did not submit any evidence to show the existence of such mitigating factors. Accordingly, the Supreme Court properly designated the defendant a level three sex offender.

The defendant's remaining contentions are unpreserved for appellate review. Prudenti, P.J., Angiolillo, Florio and Sgroi, JJ., concur.