THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK RESPONDENT v. BRYON SELLS DEFENDANT APPELLANT (2014)

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

It is hereby ORDERED that the order so appealed from is unanimously affirmed without costs.

Memorandum:  Defendant appeals from an order determining that he is a level three risk pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act (Correction Law § 168 et seq.).   We reject defendant's contention that County Court erred in denying his request for a downward departure from his presumptive risk level.   According to defendant, the effect of incarceration on him was a mitigating circumstance warranting a downward departure.  “A departure from the presumptive risk level is warranted where there exists an aggravating or mitigating factor of a kind or to a degree, not otherwise adequately taken into account by the guidelines” (People v. Scott, 111 AD3d 1274, 1275, lv denied 22 NY3d 861 [internal quotation marks omitted] ).   In our view, “defendant failed to establish his entitlement to a downward departure from the presumptive risk level inasmuch as he failed to present the requisite clear and convincing evidence of the existence of special circumstances warranting a downward departure” (People v. Marks, 31 AD3d 1142, 1143, lv denied 7 NY3d 715).

Frances E. Cafarell

Clerk of the Court