People v Williams
2026 NY Slip Op 01884
Decided on March 27, 2026
Appellate Division, Fourth Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.


Decided on March 27, 2026 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department
PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., LINDLEY, CURRAN, SMITH, AND DELCONTE, JJ.

133 KA 23-00566

[*1]THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, RESPONDENT,

v

GIOVONNI WILLIAMS, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.




TINA L. HARTWELL, PUBLIC DEFENDER, UTICA (DAVID A. COOKE OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

TODD C. CARVILLE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UTICA (MICHAEL A. LABELLA OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.



Appeal from a judgment of the Oneida County Court (Robert Bauer, J.), rendered December 23, 2022. The judgment convicted defendant upon his plea of guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide.

It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.

Memorandum: On appeal from a judgment convicting him upon his plea of guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide (Penal Law § 125.14 [3]), defendant contends that his waiver of the right to appeal is invalid and that his sentence is unduly harsh and severe. Even assuming, arguendo, that defendant's waiver of the right to appeal is invalid and therefore does not preclude our review of his challenge to the severity of the sentence (see People v Harrison, 242 AD3d 1540, 1541 [4th Dept 2025]; People v Swiderski, 217 AD3d 1416, 1417 [4th Dept 2023]), we conclude that the sentence is not unduly harsh or severe.

Entered: March 27, 2026

Ann Dillon Flynn

Clerk of the Court