People v. Lyday

Jul 3, 1997
Reporters:
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Judgment unanimously affirmed. Memorandum: Prior to the effective date of the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), effective January 21, 1996 (L 1995, ch 192), defendant pleaded ‍‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍guilty to attempted sexual abuse in the first degree for conduct that occurred in December 1994. He was sentenced after the effective date of SORA to a six-month term of imprisonment, a $2,000 fine, and a five-year term of probation. Following the procedures prescribed by SORA (see, Correction Law § 168-d [2]), the sentencing court determined ‍‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍that defendant was a sexually violent predator with a risk level of 3 and directed that he register for a period of 10 years. Although no appeal lies from a mere determination of a sex offender’s risk level (see, People v Freeman, 236 AD2d 897), here, defendant has appealed from the judgment of ‍‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍conviction and may raise issues concerning the application of SORA as an element of his sentence (see, CPL 1.20 [14]; 450.10).

On appeal, defendant contends that SORA is unconstitutional as applied to him because it violates the ex post facto prohibition in the Federal Constitution (US Const, art I, § 10, cl [1]). However, defendant did ‍‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍not raise that contention at the time of sentencing and, thus, failed to preserve it for our review (see, CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Ruz, 70 NY2d 942, 943). We *951decline to exercise our power to review that contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice (see, CPL 470.15 [6] [a]).

We conclude that the sentence is not unduly ‍‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍harsh or severe. (Appeal from Judgment of Genesee County Court, Morton, J.— Attempted Sexual Abuse, 1st Degree.) Present—Denman, P. J., Green, Doerr, Balio and Fallon, JJ.