People v Torres

People v Torres 2009 NY Slip Op 09689 [68 AD3d 1142] December 22, 2009 Appellate Division, Second Department Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. As corrected through Wednesday, February 10, 2010

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

—[*1] Stefani Goldin, Melville, N.Y., for appellant.

Kathleen M. Rice, District Attorney, Mineola, N.Y. (Tammy J. Smiley and Cristin N. Connell of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Donnino, J.), rendered February 7, 2008, convicting him of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, upon his plea of guilty, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

It is well settled that the right of a defendant to withdraw a previously entered plea of guilty rests within the sound discretion of the sentencing court (see People v Seeber, 4 NY3d 780 [2005]; People v Mann, 32 AD3d 865 [2006]; People v Kucharczyk, 15 AD3d 595 [2005]), and that determination will generally not be disturbed absent an improvident exercise of discretion (see People v DeLeon, 40 AD3d 1008 [2007]). In this case, the record reveals that the defendant entered his plea of guilty knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently, having reached a favorable plea bargain with the assistance of competent counsel with whose representation the defendant was satisfied (see People v Mann, 32 AD3d 865 [2006]). Furthermore, contrary to the defendant's arguments on appeal, "[a]n attorney assigned to represent a defendant in a criminal case has no duty to participate in a baseless pro se motion to withdraw a plea of guilty which was voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made" (People v Caple, 279 AD2d 635, 635 [2001]; see People v Rodriguez, 181 AD2d 643 [1992]; People v Glasper, 151 AD2d 692, 693 [1989]).

The defendant's remaining contention is without merit. Dillon, J.P., Miller, Eng, Hall and Sgroi, JJ., concur.