Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Stephen Pellegrino, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2015-11-24
Citations: 26 N.Y.3d 1063
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Stephen Pellegrino, Appellant.
Judges: Judges Pigott, Abdus-Salaam, Stein and Fahey concur; Chief Judge Lippman dissents in an opinion in which Judge Rivera concurs.
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 26
Pages: 1063–1064

Head Matter:
[44 NE3d 220, 23 NYS3d 145]
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Stephen Pellegrino, Appellant.
Decided November 24, 2015
APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL
The Legal Aid Society, New York City (Joanne Légano Ross of counsel), for appellant.
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York City (Yuval Simchi-Levi and Alan Gadlin of counsel), for respondent.

Opinion:
OPINION OF THE COURT
Memorandum.
The order of the Appellate Term should be affirmed.
A guilty plea is not invalid solely because the trial court failed to recite a defendant's constitutional rights under Boykin v Alabama (395 US 238 [1969]; see People v Conceicao, 26 NY3d 375 [2015] [decided herewith]). The record as a whole, however, must affirmatively demonstrate that defendant knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived those rights (see People v Harris, 61 NY2d 9, 17 [1983]).
The Appellate Term correctly concluded that the record in this case affirmatively shows a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver. Although he was initially charged with a felony, defendant pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution in the fourth degree (Penal Law § 230.20), a class A misdemeanor, in exchange for a $250 fine. He discussed the plea with his attorney for two days and personally confirmed that he was pleading guilty of his own free will because he was, in fact, guilty of the charge. The court ensured that defendant was aware of any potential immigration consequences and also that the conviction would add to his criminal record. We are satisfied that these facts establish a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver.