Opinion ID: 2593
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: 2004 Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Act

Text: In 2004, after a protracted and very public debate, see People v. Denton, 7 Misc.3d 373, 793 N.Y.S.2d 886, 891 (Sup. Ct. Kings County 2005), rev'd on other grounds by 41 A.D.3d 729, 839 N.Y.S.2d 120 (App. Div.2d Dep't 2007), New York passed the Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Act (Reform Act), which significantly lowered the maximum terms of imprisonment prescribed for certain drug offenses, including Class B and Class C felony drug offenses. See N.Y. Penal Law § 70.70 (McKinney 2004); 2004 N.Y. Laws Ch. 738 § 36 (effective Jan. 13, 2005). The Reform Act did not amend the statutory definitions or classifications of the underlying offenses. Except for a technical amendment in 1995, see 1995 N.Y. Laws Ch. 75, § 7, the definition and classification of the statutory offenses has not been altered since these defendants were convicted in state court. Under the Rockefeller drug-sentencing laws in place at the time of the defendants' state convictions, a maximum term of at least ten years imprisonment was prescribed by New York law for Class B and Class C drug offenses. See N.Y. Penal Law § 70.00(2). Under the current sentencing laws introduced by the Reform Act, the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed by law for the Class C drug offenses committed by Archer, Villegas and Williams, and for the Class B drug offense committed by someone, such as Darden, with no prior drug felonies, is less than ten years. See N.Y. Penal Law §§ 70.70(4)(b)(ii) (providing that maximum sentence for Class C drug felony committed by someone in worst criminal history class is nine years) and 70.70(2)(a)(i) (providing that maximum sentence for Class B drug felony committed by first-time felony drug offender is nine years). The Reform Act, however, did not become effective until January 13, 2005, and the current sentencing laws do not apply to crimes committed before the effective date. See People v. Utsey, 7 N.Y.3d 398, 401, 822 N.Y.S.2d 475, 855 N.E.2d 791 (2006). Thus, if the defendants were to engage in the same conduct today, their offenses would carry a maximum term of less than ten years. However, because the Reform Act is not retroactive, if the defendants were somehow sentenced today for the specific, pre-Reform-Act conduct that led to their prior convictions, the defendants would be subject to a maximum term of at least ten years.