People v Topolski
2013 NY Slip Op 03253 [106 AD3d 1532]
May 3, 2013
Appellate Division, Fourth Department
As corrected through Wednesday, June 26, 2013


The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v PaulTopolski, Appellant.

[*1]Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society, Syracuse (Philip Rothschild of counsel),for defendant-appellant.

William J. Fitzpatrick, District Attorney, Syracuse (Victoria M. White of counsel),for respondent.

Appeal from a judgment of the Onondaga County Court (Joseph E. Fahey, J.),rendered December 10, 2009. The judgment convicted defendant, upon his plea of guilty,of felony driving while intoxicated.

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

Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him, upon his plea ofguilty, of felony driving while intoxicated (Vehicle and Traffic Law §§1192 [3]; 1193 [1] [c] [ii]). Contrary to defendant's contention, we conclude that hiswaiver of the right to appeal was knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently entered (see People v Lopez, 6 NY3d248, 256 [2006]; People vPratt, 77 AD3d 1337, 1337 [2010], lv denied 15 NY3d 955 [2010]).Defendant further contends that his plea was not knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligentlyentered because he failed to recite the underlying facts of the crime to which he pleadedguilty and, upon questioning by the court, he could not recall how much he had to drinkon the date of the crime. Defendant's contention is actually a challenge to the factualsufficiency of the plea allocution, and thus that challenge and his challenge to theseverity of the sentence are encompassed by the valid waiver of the right to appeal(see Lopez, 6 NY3d at 256; People v Lococo, 92 NY2d 825, 827[1998]; People v Walton,101 AD3d 1792, 1792 [2012]; People v Grant, 96 AD3d 1697, 1697 [2012], lvdenied 19 NY3d 997 [2012]). Present—Smith, J.P., Fahey, Carni, Sconiersand Whalen, JJ.


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