Opinion ID: 2060074
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: People v Darrell Williams

Text: In 2004, defendant Darrell Williams agreed to enter a guilty plea to assault in the second degree in exchange for a promised prison sentence of three years, to be followed by three years of PRS. The plea was accepted by Supreme Court but the court did not formally pronounce the term of PRS during the sentencing proceeding. DOCS nevertheless conditionally released Williams to PRS in September 2006. In May 2007, Williams was reincarcerated for violating PRS. Following our decision in Garner , DOCS notified the sentencing court of its failure to properly impose PRS. Williams claimed that resentencing exceeded the court's jurisdiction and would violate his double jeopardy and due process protections. Supreme Court concluded that it had the inherent authority to correct the original sentence because it was illegal in the absence of a period of PRS. The court did, however, order that Williams be immediately released from custody on the rationale that he could not have violated PRS before it was a proper component of his sentence. The Appellate Division affirmed (59 AD3d 172 [1st Dept 2009]) and a Judge of this Court granted Williams leave to appeal (12 NY3d 823 [2009]).