Source: http://ny.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20100610_0004619.NY.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-06-26 15:47:55
Document Index: 759132791

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1192', '§ 40', '§ 1192', '§ 1192', '§ 1192', '§ 1192', '§ 1192', '§ 18', '§ 1192', '§ 62']

THE PEOPLE &C., APPELLANT-RESPONDENT,v.DANIEL J. BALLMAN, RESPONDENT-APPELLANT.
Defendant was indicted for driving while intoxicated as a felony (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [3]) and for obstructing governmental administration in the second degree (Penal Law 195.05) for acts committed on February 22, 2007. As the basis for elevating defendant's driving while intoxicated charge to a felony, the People filed a special information charging that defendant had a 1999 conviction for driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration in the state of Georgia (OCGA § 40-6-391), which would have been a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (2) had it occurred in New York.
"A prior out-of-state conviction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall be deemed to be a prior conviction of a violation of this section for purposes of determining penalties imposed under this section . . . provided, however, that such conduct, had it occurred in this state, would have constituted a misdemeanor or felony violation of any of the provisions of this section" (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [8]). The subdivision further provides that, if the out-of-state conduct would have been a violation of § 1192 had it occurred in-state, but would not have constituted a misdemeanor or a felony, the conduct will be deemed a prior conviction of driving while ability impaired for purposes of determining the appropriate penalties (see Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [8]).
The dispute centers on the meaning of the term "convictions" in the enabling language -- whether it applies to domestic or prior out-of-state convictions. "When presented with a question of statutory interpretation, our primary consideration is to ascertain and give effect to the intention of the Legislature" (Matter of DaimlerChrysler Corp. v Spitzer, 7 NY3d 653, 660 [2006] [internal quotation marks and citation omitted]). Although the text itself is generally the best evidence of legislative intent, where "the language is ambiguous, we may examine the statute's legislative history" (Roberts v Tishman Speyer Props., L.P., 13 NY3d 270, 286 [2009]). Here, the enabling language presents such an ambiguity.
When this provision was renumbered from subdivision seven to Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (6) in 1988, the statutory language remained largely the same. However, the bulk of the enabling language was incorporated into the body of the statute -- providing that the subdivision would only be applicable to convictions occurring after November 29, 1985 (L 1988, ch 47, § 18). The primary difference in the statutory language was the omission of the term "out-of-state." The subdivision was again renumbered to Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (8) (L 1990, ch 173, § 62), where it appears today.
Although the legislative history does not specifically discuss a time limitation, it is significant that the Legislature chose to continue applying the November 29, 1985 date originally used to allow for consideration of out-of-state convictions. The most sensible interpretation of the enabling language is that the Legislature chose to remedy this differential treatment going forward, by continuing to apply the previous statutory scheme to out-of-state convictions occurring prior to November 1, 2006, and applying the statute as amended to out-of-state convictions occurring after that date. The People's argument that "convictions" in the enabling language refers to current New York convictions is belied by the use of that November 29, 1985 to October 31, 2006 time frame. In addition, if "convictions occurring on or after November 1, 2006," was meant to refer to current New York convictions, the enabling language establishing the effective date of the ...