| People v Hunter |
| 2009 NY Slip Op 02223 [60 AD3d 1440] |
| March 20, 2009 |
| Appellate Division, Fourth Department |
| Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau
pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
| As corrected through Wednesday, May 6, 2009 |
| The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Ian Hunter,
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 burglary in the second degree (Penal Law §
140.25 [2]), and was sentenced to a determinate term of imprisonment of six years and a
three-year period of postrelease supervision. Defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the
amount of $5,287.38. 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 reveals that restitution was not part of the plea agreement. This fact
raises the issue of whether County Court erred in ordering defendant to pay restitution without
affording him an opportunity to withdraw his plea (see People v Ponder, 42 AD3d 880
[2007], lv denied 9 NY3d 925 [2007]). 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 Livingston County Court, Dennis S. Cohen,
J.—Burglary, 2nd Degree). Present—Scudder, P.J., Smith, Peradotto, Carni and
Green, JJ.