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IN RE: Russell GRAY, Appellant, v. Glenn S. GOORD, as Commissioner of Correctional Services, et al., Respondents.
Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court (Canfield, J.), entered December 1, 2005 in Albany County, which dismissed petitioner's application, in a proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78, to review a determination of the Department of Correctional Services calculating the length of petitioner's sentence.
In 1981, petitioner was sentenced to 4 1/212 to 13 1/212 years in prison for his conviction of robbery in the first degree. In 1986, petitioner was twice convicted of promoting prison contraband in the first degree and received additional consecutive prison sentences of 3 1/212 to 7 years and 2 to 4 years. Petitioner was released to parole supervision in 1991 but, in 1995, was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 21 years to life upon his conviction of murder in the second degree and 15 years to life upon his conviction of robbery in the first degree. Neither sentencing commitment specified the manner in which these sentences were to run against the prior undischarged sentences. As a result, the Department of Correctional Services calculated the sentence of 21 years to life to run concurrent with the prior undischarged terms and the sentence of 15 years to life, which was imposed upon petitioner as a persistent violent felony offender, to run consecutively. Thereafter, petitioner commenced this proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 contending that his sentence of 15 years to life should also run concurrent with the undischarged sentences. Supreme Court dismissed the petition, prompting this appeal.
Although the sentencing court was silent on the issue, Penal Law § 70.25(2-a) requires that the sentence of 15 years to life, imposed as a persistent violent felony offender (see Penal Law § 70.08), run consecutively to the prior undischarged sentences (see Matter of Moore v. Goord, 34 A.D.3d 909, 910, 822 N.Y.S.2d 830 [2006]; Matter of Martinez v. Goord, 30 A.D.3d 868, 869, 816 N.Y.S.2d 689 [2006]; Matter of Valentin v. Smith, 30 A.D.3d 862, 863, 817 N.Y.S.2d 717 [2006], lv. denied 7 N.Y.3d 717, 827 N.Y.S.2d 687, 860 N.E.2d 989 [2006] ). To the extent that petitioner challenges his adjudication as a persistent violent felony offender, we note that review of such adjudication is not possible in the context of a CPLR article 78 proceeding (see CPLR 7801[2]; Matter of Caroselli v. Goord, 269 A.D.2d 706, 706-707, 704 N.Y.S.2d 319 [2000], lv. denied 95 N.Y.2d 754, 711 N.Y.S.2d 833, 733 N.E.2d 1102 [2000] ).
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed, without costs.
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Decided: February 01, 2007
Court: Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, New York.
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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.
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