| People v Spencer |
| 2008 NY Slip Op 07552 [55 AD3d 1424] |
| October 3, 2008 |
| Appellate Division, Fourth Department |
| Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant
to Judiciary Law § 431. |
| As corrected through Wednesday, December 10, 2008 |
| The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Joseph R. Spencer,
Appellant. |
—[*1]The case is held, the decision is reserved, the motion to
relieve counsel of assignment is granted, and new counsel is to be assigned. Memorandum: Defendant
was convicted upon a guilty plea of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth
degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 220.06 [2]) and criminally possessing a hypodermic
instrument (Penal Law § 220.45). Defendant's assigned appellate counsel has moved to be
relieved of the assignment pursuant to People v Crawford (71 AD2d 38 [1979]), and has
submitted an affirmation in which he concludes that there are no nonfrivolous issues meriting this Court's
consideration. The record establishes that defendant moved prior to sentencing to withdraw his plea.
The facts raise the issue of whether the court abused its discretion in denying defendant's motion.
Therefore, we relieve counsel of his assignment and assign new counsel to brief this issue, as well as any
other issues that counsel's review of the record may disclose. (Appeal from Judgment of Jefferson
County Court, Kim H. Martusewicz, J.—Attempted Criminal Possession Controlled Substance,
5th Degree.) Present—Scudder, P.J., Hurlbutt, Martoche, Smith and Lunn, JJ.