People v Berry
2016 NY Slip Op 02976 [138 AD3d 945]
April 20, 2016
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, June 1, 2016


[*1]
 The People of the State of New York,Respondent,
v
Jameek Berry, Appellant.

Kent V. Moston, Hempstead, NY (Jeremy L. Goldberg and Argun M. Ulgen ofcounsel), for appellant.

Madeline Singas, District Attorney, Mineola, NY (Ilisa T. Fleischer and PamelaKelly-Pincus of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from an order of the County Court, Nassau County(Delligatti, J.), dated January 28, 2013, which, after a hearing, designated him a levelthree sex offender pursuant to Correction Law article 6-C.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

Contrary to the defendant's contention, the County Court properly determined that hewas a presumptive level three sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act(see Correction Law art 6-C). The People established, by clear and convincingevidence, that the defendant previously had been convicted of a felony sex offense.Therefore, irrespective of the points scored on the risk assessment instrument, thedefendant was a presumptive level three sex offender pursuant to an automatic override(see Sex Offender Registration Act: Risk Assessment Guidelines andCommentary at 3-4 [2006]; People v Gordon, 133 AD3d 835, 836 [2015]; People v Barfield, 115 AD3d835, 835 [2014]; People vRoache, 110 AD3d 776, 777 [2013]). In light of our determination that anoverride was established, we need not reach the defendant's challenge to the assessmentof points under specified risk factors (see People v Barfield, 115 AD3d at 835; People v Manson, 111 AD3d688, 688 [2013]).

Moreover, the County Court providently exercised its discretion in denying thedefendant's application for a downward departure from his presumptive risk leveldesignation (see People vIliff, 132 AD3d 831, 831-832 [2015]; People v Barfield, 115 AD3d at835; People v Manson, 111 AD3d at 689). Upon examining all of thecircumstances relevant to the defendant's risk to reoffend and the danger the defendantposes to the community, a downward departure was not warranted (see People vIliff, 132 AD3d at 831-832; People v Barfield, 115 AD3d at 835; Peoplev Manson, 111 AD3d at 689).

The defendant's remaining contentions are without merit. Chambers, J.P., Austin,Roman and Duffy, JJ., concur.


NYPTI Decisions © 2026 is a project of New York Prosecutors Training Institute (NYPTI) made possible by leveraging the work we've done providing online research and tools to prosecutors.

NYPTI would like to thank New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, New York State Senate's Open Legislation Project, New York State Unified Court System, New York State Law Reporting Bureau and Free Law Project for their invaluable assistance making this project possible.

Install the free RECAP extensions to help contribute to this archive. See https://free.law/recap/ for more information.