Learn About the Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Peter L. STOUTEN, Appellant.
Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Chemung County (Hayden, J.), rendered August 10, 2007, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crime of criminal sexual act in the first degree.
In satisfaction of an eight-count indictment, defendant pleaded guilty to criminal sexual act in the first degree with the promise that his prison exposure would be capped at 15 years. County Court thereafter sentenced defendant to 15 years in prison and five years of postrelease supervision. Defendant now appeals, contending that the sentence imposed was harsh and excessive. We disagree. Notwithstanding the fact that defendant's sentence might effectively preclude him from living to see parole, we note the reprehensible nature of the crime perpetrated by him on a 10-year-old girl, along with his prior conviction for sexual abuse in the first degree, and find neither an abuse of discretion by County Court nor the existence of any extraordinary circumstances warranting a reduction of the sentence in the interest of justice (see People v. Cogswell, 46 A.D.3d 1017, 1018, 846 N.Y.S.2d 922 [2007]; People v. Greene, 13 A.D.3d 991, 993, 787 N.Y.S.2d 466 [2004], lv. denied 5 N.Y.3d 789, 801 N.Y.S.2d 810, 835 N.E.2d 670 [2005] ).
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.
Thank you for your feedback!
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.
Decided: September 18, 2008
Court: Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, New York.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)
Harness the power of our directory with your own profile. Select the button below to sign up.
Learn more about FindLaw’s newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)