The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., Buffalo (Leah N. Farwell of counsel), for defendant-appellant.

Lawren Goins, defendant-appellant pro se.

Michael J. Keane, District Attorney, Buffalo (Paul J. Williams, III, of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal from a judgment of the Erie County Court (James F. Bargnesi, J.), rendered October 11, 2022. The judgment convicted defendant, upon his plea of guilty, of manslaughter in the first degree and attempted murder in the second degree.

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

Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him, upon his plea of guilty, of manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.20 [1]) and attempted murder in the second degree (§§ 110.00, 125.25 [1]). Contrary to defendant's contention in his main brief, we conclude that defendant's waiver of the right to appeal was valid (see People v Gaines, 239 AD3d 1350, 1350 [4th Dept 2025]). Defendant's valid waiver of the right to appeal "precludes our review of his challenge to the severity of the sentence" (id. at 1351).

Contrary to defendant's further contention in the main brief, County Court did not fail to make an independent youthful offender determination (cf. People v Hobbs, 158 AD3d 1308, 1309 [4th Dept 2018]; see generally CPL 720.20 [1]), and the court was "not required to state, on the record, its reasons for denying defendant youthful offender status" (People v Minemier, 29 NY3d 414, 416 [2017]).

We have considered defendant's contentions in his pro se supplemental brief and conclude that they are without merit. Present—Lindley, J.P., Curran, Ogden, Nowak and Hannah, JJ.