THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK RESPONDENT v. LOUIS MCMORRIS DEFENDANT APPELLANT (2023)

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

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

Memorandum: On appeal from a judgment convicting him upon his plea of guilty of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 220.16 [1]), defendant contends that his waiver of the right to appeal is invalid and that his sentence is unduly harsh and severe. As the People correctly concede, defendant's waiver of the right to appeal is invalid inasmuch as County Court's explanation that the waiver would foreclose any review by a higher court “utterly ‘mischaracterized the nature of the right [that] defendant was being asked to cede’ ” (People v Thomas, 34 NY3d 545, 565 [2019], cert denied — US —, 140 S Ct 2634 [2020]; see People v Youngs, 183 AD3d 1228, 1228-1229 [4th Dept 2020], lv denied 35 NY3d 1050 [2020]). Nevertheless, we conclude that the sentence is not unduly harsh or severe.

Entered: March 24, 2023

Ann Dillon Flynn

Clerk of the Court