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A04469 Summary:

BILL NOA04469
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORCrespo (MS)
 
COSPNSRJaffee, Thiele, Peoples-Stokes, Ramos, Ortiz, Otis, Davila, Cahill, Niou, Carroll, Simon, De La Rosa, Hunter, Taylor, Perry, Kim, Lifton, Bronson, Rosenthal L, Dickens, Arroyo, Hevesi, D'Urso, Jean-Pierre, Galef, Pretlow, Simotas, Dinowitz, Mosley, Lentol, Abinanti, Seawright, DenDekker, Nolan
 
MLTSPNSRMagnarelli, Rozic
 
Amd §70.15, Pen L
 
Reduces certain sentences of imprisonment for misdemeanors to three hundred sixty-four days.
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A04469 Actions:

BILL NOA04469
 
02/04/2019referred to codes
01/08/2020referred to codes
07/06/2020enacting clause stricken
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A04469 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4469
 
SPONSOR: Crespo (MS)
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the penal law, in relation to reducing certain sentences of imprisonment for misdemeanors to three hundred sixty-four days   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL: Reduces the maximum sentence for misdemeanor offenses from one year to three hundred sixty-four days.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Bill section one amends subdivisions 1 of section 70.15 of the Penal Law to reduce by one day, from one year (365 days) to 364 days, the maximum definite sentence of imprisonment that may be imposed for a misdemeanor conviction. A conforming change is made to PL § 70.15 (3), to extend that one day reduction to provisions of law outside the Penal Law that otherwise authorize a misdemeanor sentence of up to one year imprison- ment. Bill section two adds a new subdivision 1-a to Penal Law § 70.15. This subdivision extends this one day reduction to misdemeanor sentences of one year imposed before, on or after the effective date of the bill. The change will occur by operation of law; any person sentenced to a period of one year under the former provisions of law would be able to obtain an updated certificate of conviction from the court setting forth such amended sentence. Bill section three provides that the bill will take effect immediately.   JUSTIFICATION: Because of the way New York's Penal Law interacts with federal immi- gration law, non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents, with recent or long-past criminal charges sometimes face unexpected and undu- ly harsh immigration consequences. One significant concern arises because the maximum potential sentence of imprisonment for conviction of a Class A misdemeanor in New York is one year imprisonment. Under federal immigration law, the potential for a one year sentence can trigger deportation proceedings and removal from the United States in many circumstances, even when the person spent no time in jail at all. Further, an actual sentence of one year in jail for a misdemeanor conviction serves to disqualify New Yorkers in some vulnerable popu- lations from consideration for certain protections, such as asylum (based on a well-founded fear of persecution in the foreign country) and protection from domestic violence. Such a sentence also divests immigration judges, in certain cases, of discretion to consider circumstances that may militate against deporta- tion, such as long-term residence in the U.S., past military service, and others. Unnecessary deportations adversely affect the financial and social systems in New York. When New Yorkers - many of whom have been green card holders for decades - are deported for lesser crimes and denied consideration for immigration relief, families may become dependent on social services and safety net assistance, children may have to forego education, tax revenues decrease, and employers may experience signif- icant difficulties due to a loss of qualified workers. New York is home to one of the most diverse populations in the country. More than twenty percent of New Yorkers are foreign born. Throughout New York's history, immigrant populations have contributed immensely to the economy and the cultural fabric of this state. Rigid immigration consequences in the law should not be countenanced. The modest change in this legislation will assure appropriate discretion for federal immi- gration authorities in certain matters, and help protect this group of non-citizens from arbitrary deportation and the denial of consideration of individual circumstances.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: BILL NO A04881 02/03/2017 referred to codes 02/06/2017 reported referred to rules 02/06/2017 reported 02/06/2017 rules report cal.18 02/06/2017 ordered to third reading rules cal.18 02/06/2017 passed assembly 02/06/2017 delivered to senate 02/06/2017 REFERRED TO CODES 01/03/2018 DIED IN SENATE 01/03/2018 RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY 01/03/2018 ordered to third reading cal.349   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: None.   EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.
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A04469 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          4469
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 4, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. CRESPO, JAFFEE, THIELE, PEOPLES-STOKES, RAMOS,
          ORTIZ, OTIS, DAVILA, CAHILL, NIOU, CARROLL, SIMON, DE LA ROSA, HUNTER,
          TAYLOR, PERRY, KIM, LIFTON, BRONSON,  L. ROSENTHAL,  DICKENS,  ARROYO,
          HEVESI,  D'URSO,  JEAN-PIERRE,  GALEF,  PRETLOW,  SIMOTAS, DINOWITZ --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. MAGNARELLI,  ROZIC  --  read  once  and
          referred to the Committee on Codes
 
        AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to reducing certain sentences
          of imprisonment for misdemeanors to three hundred sixty-four days
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 70.15  of  the  penal  law,
     2  subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 291 of the laws of 1993, are amended
     3  to read as follows:
     4    1.  Class  A  misdemeanor.  A  sentence  of imprisonment for a class A
     5  misdemeanor shall be a  definite  sentence.  When  such  a  sentence  is
     6  imposed  the term shall be fixed by the court, and shall not exceed [one
     7  year] three hundred sixty-four days; provided, however, that a  sentence
     8  of  imprisonment  imposed  upon a conviction of criminal possession of a
     9  weapon in the fourth degree as defined in  subdivision  one  of  section
    10  265.01  must  be  for  a period of no less than [one year] three hundred
    11  sixty-four days when the conviction was the result of a plea  of  guilty
    12  entered  in  satisfaction of an indictment or any count thereof charging
    13  the defendant with the  class  D  violent  felony  offense  of  criminal
    14  possession  of  a  weapon  in the third degree as defined in subdivision
    15  four of section 265.02, except that  the  court  may  impose  any  other
    16  sentence  authorized  by  law  upon a person who has not been previously
    17  convicted in the five years immediately preceding the commission of  the
    18  offense  for  a felony or a class A misdemeanor defined in this chapter,
    19  if the court having regard to the nature and circumstances of the  crime
    20  and  to  the history and character of the defendant, finds on the record
    21  that such sentence would  be  unduly  harsh  and  that  the  alternative
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05291-01-9

        A. 4469                             2
 
     1  sentence  would  be consistent with public safety and does not deprecate
     2  the seriousness of the crime.
     3    3. Unclassified misdemeanor. A sentence of imprisonment for an unclas-
     4  sified misdemeanor shall be a definite sentence. When such a sentence is
     5  imposed the term shall be fixed by the court, and shall be in accordance
     6  with  the  sentence  specified  in the law or ordinance that defines the
     7  crime but, in any event, it shall not exceed  three  hundred  sixty-four
     8  days.
     9    §  2. Section 70.15 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi-
    10  vision 1-a to read as follows:
    11    1-a. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, whenever the
    12  phrase "one year" or "three hundred sixty-five days" or  "365  days"  or
    13  any similar phrase appears in any provision of this chapter or any other
    14  law  in  reference to the definite sentence or maximum definite sentence
    15  of imprisonment that is imposed, or has been imposed, or may be  imposed
    16  after  enactment  of  this  subdivision, for a misdemeanor conviction in
    17  this state, such phrase shall mean, be interpreted  and  be  applied  as
    18  three hundred sixty-four days.
    19    (b) The amendatory provisions of this subdivision are ameliorative and
    20  shall  apply  to  all  persons who are sentenced before, on or after the
    21  effective date of this subdivision, for a crime committed before, on  or
    22  after the effective date of this subdivision.
    23    (c)  Any  sentence  for  a misdemeanor conviction imposed prior to the
    24  effective date of this subdivision that is a definite sentence of impri-
    25  sonment of one year, or three hundred sixty-five days, shall, by  opera-
    26  tion  of  law,  be  changed to, mean and be interpreted and applied as a
    27  sentence of three hundred sixty-four days.  In  addition  to  any  other
    28  right of a person to obtain a record of a proceeding against him or her,
    29  a  person  so  sentenced prior to the effective date of this subdivision
    30  shall be entitled to obtain, from the criminal court or the clerk there-
    31  of, a certificate of conviction, as  described  in  subdivision  one  of
    32  section 60.60 of the criminal procedure law, setting forth such sentence
    33  as the sentence specified in this paragraph.
    34    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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