Bill Text: NY A00854 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires that all felony offenders shall be eligible for parole after serving no more than twenty-five years of their sentence; eliminates the possibility of serving consecutive terms of imprisonment which exceed a twenty-five year sentence.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to codes [A00854 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A00854-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           854

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 11, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CARROLL,  EPSTEIN, SIMON, ANDERSON, JACKSON,
          BURGOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes

        AN ACT to amend the penal law,  the  correction  law  and  the  criminal
          procedure law, in relation to parole eligibility for felony offenders;
          and to repeal subdivision 2-a of section 70.20 of the penal law relat-
          ing thereto

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 60.06 of the penal law, as amended by  chapter  482
     2  of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
     3  § 60.06 Authorized  disposition;  murder  in the first degree offenders;
     4            aggravated murder offenders;  certain  murder  in  the  second
     5            degree   offenders;   certain  terrorism  offenders;  criminal
     6            possession of a chemical weapon or  biological  weapon  offen-
     7            ders;  criminal  use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon
     8            offenders.
     9    When a defendant is convicted of murder in the first degree as defined
    10  in section 125.27 of this chapter, the court shall, in  accordance  with
    11  the provisions of section 400.27 of the criminal procedure law, sentence
    12  the  defendant to death, to life imprisonment [without parole in accord-
    13  ance with subdivision five of section 70.00 of this title,] with  eligi-
    14  bility  for  parole after twenty-five years or to a term of imprisonment
    15  for a class A-I felony other than a sentence of life imprisonment [with-
    16  out parole] with eligibility for  parole  after  twenty-five  years,  in
    17  accordance  with subdivisions one through three of section 70.00 of this
    18  title. When a person is convicted of murder  in  the  second  degree  as
    19  defined  in subdivision five of section 125.25 of this chapter or of the
    20  crime of aggravated murder as defined  in  subdivision  one  of  section
    21  125.26  of  this chapter, the court shall sentence the defendant to life
    22  imprisonment [without parole in  accordance  with  subdivision  five  of
    23  section  70.00  of this title] with eligibility for parole after twenty-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03128-01-3

        A. 854                              2

     1  five years. When a defendant is convicted of the crime of  terrorism  as
     2  defined in section 490.25 of this chapter, and the specified offense the
     3  defendant  committed  is a class A-I felony offense, or when a defendant
     4  is convicted of the crime of criminal possession of a chemical weapon or
     5  biological  weapon  in  the first degree as defined in section 490.45 of
     6  this chapter, or when a defendant is convicted of the crime of  criminal
     7  use  of  a  chemical  weapon or biological weapon in the first degree as
     8  defined in section 490.55 of this chapter, the court shall sentence  the
     9  defendant to life imprisonment [without parole in accordance with subdi-
    10  vision  five of section 70.00 of this title] with eligibility for parole
    11  after twenty-five years; provided, however, that nothing in this section
    12  shall preclude or prevent a sentence of death when the defendant is also
    13  convicted of murder in the first degree as defined in section 125.27  of
    14  this  chapter.  When  a  defendant  is convicted of aggravated murder as
    15  defined in subdivision two of section 125.26 of this chapter, the  court
    16  shall  sentence the defendant to life imprisonment [without parole] with
    17  eligibility for parole after twenty-five years or to a term of imprison-
    18  ment for a class A-I felony other than a sentence of  life  imprisonment
    19  [without  parole,  in  accordance with subdivisions one through three of
    20  section 70.00 of this title] with eligibility for parole  after  twenty-
    21  five years.
    22    §  2.  Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 and subdivi-
    23  sion 5 of section 70.00 of the penal law, subparagraph (i) of  paragraph
    24  (a)  of  subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 107 of the laws of 2006 and
    25  subdivision 5 as amended by section 40-a of part WWW of  chapter  59  of
    26  the laws of 2017, are amended to read as follows:
    27    (i) For a class A-I felony, such minimum period shall not be less than
    28  fifteen  years  nor more than twenty-five years; provided, however, that
    29  (A) where a sentence, other than a sentence of death or  life  imprison-
    30  ment  [without  parole]  with  eligibility  for parole after twenty-five
    31  years, is imposed upon a defendant convicted  of  murder  in  the  first
    32  degree  as defined in section 125.27 of this chapter such minimum period
    33  shall be not less than twenty years nor  more  than  twenty-five  years,
    34  and,  (B)  where  a  sentence  is  imposed upon a defendant convicted of
    35  murder in the second degree as defined in subdivision  five  of  section
    36  125.25  of  this chapter or convicted of aggravated murder as defined in
    37  section 125.26 of this chapter, the sentence shall be life  imprisonment
    38  [without  parole]  with  eligibility for parole after twenty-five years,
    39  and, (C) where a sentence is  imposed  upon  a  defendant  convicted  of
    40  attempted  murder  in the first degree as defined in article one hundred
    41  ten of this chapter and subparagraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of paragraph (a)
    42  of subdivision one and paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision  one  of  section
    43  125.27  of  this  chapter  or  attempted aggravated murder as defined in
    44  article one hundred ten of this chapter and section 125.26 of this chap-
    45  ter such minimum period shall be not less than  twenty  years  nor  more
    46  than forty years.
    47    [5.  Life  imprisonment  without  parole.  Notwithstanding  any  other
    48  provision of law, a defendant sentenced  to  life  imprisonment  without
    49  parole  shall  not  be  or  become  eligible  for  parole or conditional
    50  release. For purposes of commitment and custody, other than  parole  and
    51  conditional  release,  such sentence shall be deemed to be an indetermi-
    52  nate sentence. A defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment without
    53  parole upon conviction for the crime of murder in the  first  degree  as
    54  defined  in  section  125.27  of this chapter and in accordance with the
    55  procedures provided by law for imposing a sentence  for  such  crime.  A
    56  defendant  who  was  eighteen  years  of age or older at the time of the

        A. 854                              3

     1  commission of the crime must be sentenced to life  imprisonment  without
     2  parole  upon conviction for the crime of terrorism as defined in section
     3  490.25 of this  chapter,  where  the  specified  offense  the  defendant
     4  committed  is  a class A-I felony; the crime of criminal possession of a
     5  chemical weapon or biological weapon in the first degree as  defined  in
     6  section 490.45 of this chapter; or the crime of criminal use of a chemi-
     7  cal  weapon  or  biological  weapon  in  the  first degree as defined in
     8  section 490.55 of this chapter; provided, however, that nothing in  this
     9  subdivision  shall  preclude  or  prevent  a  sentence of death when the
    10  defendant is also convicted of the crime of murder in the  first  degree
    11  as defined in section 125.27 of this chapter. A defendant who was seven-
    12  teen  years of age or younger at the time of the commission of the crime
    13  may be sentenced, in accordance with law, to the  applicable  indetermi-
    14  nate sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment. A defendant must
    15  be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon conviction for the
    16  crime  of  murder in the second degree as defined in subdivision five of
    17  section 125.25 of this chapter or for the crime of aggravated murder  as
    18  defined  in subdivision one of section 125.26 of this chapter. A defend-
    19  ant may be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole upon conviction
    20  for the crime of aggravated murder as  defined  in  subdivision  two  of
    21  section 125.26 of this chapter.]
    22    §  3.  Subdivision  3  of section 70.00 of the penal law is amended by
    23  adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
    24    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law  to  the  contrary,
    25  for  any  felony, regardless of sentence, all defendants sentenced shall
    26  become eligible for parole after serving no more than twenty-five  years
    27  of  their  sentence; and further, notwithstanding any other provision of
    28  the law to the contrary, no defendant shall be sentenced to  consecutive
    29  terms of imprisonment which exceed a twenty-five year sentence.
    30    §  4.  Subdivision  3  of section 70.02 of the penal law is amended by
    31  adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
    32    (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law  to  the  contrary,
    33  for  any  felony  defined  in  this section, regardless of sentence, all
    34  defendants sentenced shall become eligible for parole after  serving  no
    35  more  than  twenty-five  years  of their sentence; and further, notwith-
    36  standing any other provision of the law to the  contrary,  no  defendant
    37  shall  be  sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which exceed a
    38  twenty-five year sentence.
    39    § 5. Section 70.04 of the penal law is amended by adding a new  subdi-
    40  vision 4 to read as follows:
    41    4. Parole eligibility and consecutive terms of imprisonment.  Notwith-
    42  standing  any other provision of the law to the contrary, for any felony
    43  defined  in  this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all   defendants
    44  sentenced  shall  become  eligible for parole after serving no more than
    45  twenty-five years of their sentence; and  further,  notwithstanding  any
    46  other  provision  of  the  law  to  the  contrary, no defendant shall be
    47  sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which  exceed  a  twenty-
    48  five year sentence.
    49    §  6. Section 70.06 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi-
    50  vision 8 to read as follows:
    51    8. Parole eligibility and consecutive terms of imprisonment.  Notwith-
    52  standing any other provision of the law to the contrary, for any  felony
    53  defined   in  this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all  defendants
    54  sentenced shall become eligible for parole after serving  no  more  than
    55  twenty-five  years  of  their sentence; and further, notwithstanding any
    56  other provision of the law  to  the  contrary,  no  defendant  shall  be

        A. 854                              4

     1  sentenced  to  consecutive  terms of imprisonment which exceed a twenty-
     2  five year sentence.
     3    §  7. Section 70.07 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi-
     4  vision 6 to read as follows:
     5    6.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the law  to  the  contrary,
     6  for  any  felony  defined  in  this section, regardless of sentence, all
     7  defendants sentenced shall become eligible for parole after  serving  no
     8  more  than  twenty-five  years  of their sentence; and further, notwith-
     9  standing any other provision of the law to the  contrary,  no  defendant
    10  shall  be  sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which exceed a
    11  twenty-five year sentence.
    12    § 8. Section 70.08 of the penal law is amended by adding a new  subdi-
    13  vision 4 to read as follows:
    14    4. Parole eligibility and consecutive terms of imprisonment.  Notwith-
    15  standing  any other provision of the law to the contrary, for any felony
    16  defined  in  this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all   defendants
    17  sentenced  shall  become  eligible for parole after serving no more than
    18  twenty-five years of their sentence; and  further,  notwithstanding  any
    19  other  provision  of  the  law  to  the  contrary, no defendant shall be
    20  sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which  exceed  a  twenty-
    21  five year sentence.
    22    §  9. Section 70.10 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi-
    23  vision 3 to read as follows:
    24    3. Parole eligibility and consecutive terms of imprisonment.  Notwith-
    25  standing any other provision of the law to the contrary, for any  felony
    26  defined   in  this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all  defendants
    27  sentenced shall become eligible for parole after serving  no  more  than
    28  twenty-five  years  of  their sentence; and further, notwithstanding any
    29  other provision of the law  to  the  contrary,  no  defendant  shall  be
    30  sentenced  to  consecutive  terms of imprisonment which exceed a twenty-
    31  five year sentence.
    32    § 10. Subdivision 2-a of section 70.20 of the penal law is REPEALED.
    33    § 11.  Section 70.71 of the penal law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
    34  subdivision 6 to read as follows:
    35    6. Parole eligibility and consecutive terms of imprisonment.  Notwith-
    36  standing  any other provision of the law to the contrary, for any felony
    37  defined  in  this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all   defendants
    38  sentenced  shall  become  eligible for parole after serving no more than
    39  twenty-five years of their sentence; and  further,  notwithstanding  any
    40  other  provision  of  the  law  to  the  contrary, no defendant shall be
    41  sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which  exceed  a  twenty-
    42  five year sentence.
    43    §  12.  Subdivision  3  of section 70.80 of the penal law, as added by
    44  chapter 7 of the laws of 2007, is amended and a new  subdivision  10  is
    45  added to read as follows:
    46    3.  Except  as provided by subdivision four, five, six, seven or eight
    47  of this section, or when a defendant is being sentenced for a conviction
    48  of the class A-II felonies of predatory  sexual  assault  and  predatory
    49  sexual  assault against a child as defined in sections 130.95 and 130.96
    50  of this chapter, or for any class  A-I  sexually  motivated  felony  for
    51  which a life sentence [or a life without parole sentence] with eligibil-
    52  ity  for  parole  after  twenty-five  years  must be imposed, a sentence
    53  imposed upon a defendant convicted of a felony sex offense  shall  be  a
    54  determinate  sentence.  The determinate sentence shall be imposed by the
    55  court in whole or half years, and shall include  as  a  part  thereof  a
    56  period  of post-release supervision in accordance with subdivision two-a

        A. 854                              5

     1  of section 70.45 of this article. Persons eligible for sentencing  under
     2  section  70.07  of  this  article  governing second child sexual assault
     3  felonies shall be sentenced under such  section  and  paragraph  (j)  of
     4  subdivision two-a of section 70.45 of this article.
     5    10.    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary,
     6  for any felony defined in this  section,  regardless  of  sentence,  all
     7  defendants  sentenced  shall become eligible for parole after serving no
     8  more than twenty-five years of their  sentence;  and  further,  notwith-
     9  standing  any  other  provision of the law to the contrary, no defendant
    10  shall be sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment which  exceed  a
    11  twenty-five year sentence.
    12    §  13.  Paragraph  (d) of subdivision 2 of section 490.25 of the penal
    13  law, as added by chapter 300 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read  as
    14  follows:
    15    (d)  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law, when a person is
    16  convicted of a crime of terrorism pursuant  to  this  section,  and  the
    17  specified  offense  is  a  class  A-I  felony offense, the sentence upon
    18  conviction of such offense shall be life imprisonment  [without  parole]
    19  with  eligibility for parole after twenty-five years; provided, however,
    20  that nothing herein shall preclude or prevent a sentence of  death  when
    21  the  specified  offense  is  murder  in  the  first degree as defined in
    22  section 125.27 of this chapter.
    23    § 14. Subdivision 2 of section 136 of the correction law,  as  amended
    24  by chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
    25    2.  All  incarcerated individuals admitted to the department serving a
    26  determinate term of imprisonment, or an indeterminate sentence of impri-
    27  sonment other than a sentence of  life  imprisonment  [without  parole,]
    28  with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years who have been evalu-
    29  ated  upon  admission pursuant to subdivision one of section one hundred
    30  thirty-seven of this  article  and  are  determined  to  be  capable  of
    31  successfully  completing  the academic course work required for the test
    32  assessing secondary completion, shall be provided with  the  opportunity
    33  to  complete  such  course work at least two months prior to the date on
    34  which  such  incarcerated  individual  may  be  paroled,   conditionally
    35  released, released to post-release supervision pursuant to section 70.40
    36  of  the  penal law, or presumptively released, pursuant to section eight
    37  hundred three of this chapter. Upon admission to  the  department,  such
    38  incarcerated  individuals  will be provided with written notice that the
    39  test assessing secondary  completion  programs  are  available  for  all
    40  incarcerated individuals who so apply.
    41    § 15. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 5 of section 220.10 of the criminal
    42  procedure  law,  as amended by chapter 1 of the laws of 1995, is amended
    43  to read as follows:
    44    (e) A defendant may not enter a plea of guilty to the crime of  murder
    45  in  the  first  degree  as  defined  in section 125.27 of the penal law;
    46  provided, however, that a defendant may enter such a plea with both  the
    47  permission  of  the  court and the consent of the people when the agreed
    48  upon sentence is either life imprisonment [without parole]  with  eligi-
    49  bility  for parole after twenty-five years or a term of imprisonment for
    50  the class A-I felony of murder in the first degree other than a sentence
    51  of life imprisonment [without parole] with eligibility for parole  after
    52  twenty-five years.
    53    §  16. Subparagraph (vii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section
    54  220.30 of the criminal procedure law, as amended by  chapter  1  of  the
    55  laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:

        A. 854                              6

     1    (vii)  A  defendant  may  not  enter  a plea of guilty to the crime of
     2  murder in the first degree as defined in section  125.27  of  the  penal
     3  law; provided, however, that a defendant may enter such a plea with both
     4  the  permission  of  the  court  and  the consent of the people when the
     5  agreed  upon  sentence is either life imprisonment [without parole] with
     6  eligibility for parole after twenty-five years or a term of imprisonment
     7  for the class A-I felony of murder in the  first  degree  other  than  a
     8  sentence  of  life  imprisonment  [without  parole] with eligibility for
     9  parole after twenty-five years.
    10    § 17. Subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and  (e)  of  subdivision  11  and
    11  paragraphs  (b),  (c) and (e) of subdivision 12 of section 400.27 of the
    12  criminal procedure law, as added by chapter 1 of the laws of  1995,  are
    13  amended to read as follows:
    14    1. Upon the conviction of a defendant for the offense of murder in the
    15  first  degree  as  defined by section 125.27 of the penal law, the court
    16  shall promptly conduct a separate  sentencing  proceeding  to  determine
    17  whether  the  defendant shall be sentenced to death or to life imprison-
    18  ment [without parole pursuant to subdivision five of  section  70.00  of
    19  the  penal  law]  with  eligibility  for parole after twenty-five years.
    20  Nothing in this section shall be deemed to preclude the  people  at  any
    21  time  from  determining  that the death penalty shall not be sought in a
    22  particular case, in which case the separate sentencing proceeding  shall
    23  not  be  conducted  and  the  court  may sentence such defendant to life
    24  imprisonment [without parole] with eligibility for parole after  twenty-
    25  five  years or to a sentence of imprisonment for the class A-I felony of
    26  murder in the first degree other than a sentence  of  life  imprisonment
    27  [without parole] with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years.
    28    (b)  If  the  jury directs imposition of either a sentence of death or
    29  life imprisonment [without parole] with  eligibility  for  parole  after
    30  twenty-five  years,  it shall specify on the record those mitigating and
    31  aggravating factors considered and those mitigating factors  established
    32  by the defendant, if any.
    33    (e)  If the jury unanimously determines that a sentence of life impri-
    34  sonment [without parole] with eligibility for parole  after  twenty-five
    35  years  should  be  imposed the court must thereupon impose a sentence of
    36  life imprisonment [without parole] with  eligibility  for  parole  after
    37  twenty-five years.
    38    (b)  In  the event the defendant is sentenced pursuant to this section
    39  to life imprisonment [without parole] with eligibility for parole  after
    40  twenty-five  years or to a term of imprisonment for the class A-I felony
    41  of murder in the first degree other than a sentence of life imprisonment
    42  [without parole] with eligibility for parole  after  twenty-five  years,
    43  the court shall not render a finding with respect to whether the defend-
    44  ant is mentally retarded.
    45    (c)  In  the event the defendant is sentenced pursuant to this section
    46  to death, the court shall thereupon render a  finding  with  respect  to
    47  whether  the  defendant  is  mentally  retarded.  If the court finds the
    48  defendant is mentally retarded, the court shall set aside  the  sentence
    49  of death and sentence the defendant either to life imprisonment [without
    50  parole] with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years or to a term
    51  of  imprisonment  for the class A-I felony of murder in the first degree
    52  other than a sentence of life imprisonment [without parole] with  eligi-
    53  bility  for  parole  after  twenty-five  years.   If the court finds the
    54  defendant is not mentally retarded, then such sentence  of  death  shall
    55  not be set aside pursuant to this subdivision.

        A. 854                              7

     1    (e) The foregoing provisions of this subdivision notwithstanding, at a
     2  reasonable  time  prior  to the commencement of trial the defendant may,
     3  upon a written motion alleging reasonable cause to believe the defendant
     4  is mentally retarded, apply for an order directing that a mental  retar-
     5  dation  hearing  be  conducted  prior  to  trial. If, upon review of the
     6  defendant's motion and any response thereto, the court finds  reasonable
     7  cause  to  believe the defendant is mentally retarded, it shall promptly
     8  conduct a hearing without a jury to determine whether the  defendant  is
     9  mentally  retarded.  In the event the court finds after the hearing that
    10  the defendant is  not  mentally  retarded,  the  court  must,  prior  to
    11  commencement  of  trial,  enter an order so stating, but nothing in this
    12  paragraph shall preclude a defendant from presenting mitigating evidence
    13  of mental retardation at a separate sentencing proceeding. In the  event
    14  the  court  finds  after  the  hearing  that the defendant, based upon a
    15  preponderance of the evidence, is mentally  retarded,  the  court  must,
    16  prior  to  commencement  of trial, enter an order so stating. Unless the
    17  order is reversed on an appeal by the people or unless the provisions of
    18  paragraph (d) of this subdivision apply, a separate sentencing  proceed-
    19  ing under this section shall not be conducted if the defendant is there-
    20  after  convicted  of murder in the first degree. In the event a separate
    21  sentencing proceeding is not conducted, the court, upon conviction of  a
    22  defendant  for  the  crime of murder in the first degree, shall sentence
    23  the defendant to life imprisonment [without parole] with eligibility for
    24  parole after twenty-five years or to a sentence of imprisonment for  the
    25  class  A-I felony of murder in the first degree other than a sentence of
    26  life imprisonment [without parole] with  eligibility  for  parole  after
    27  twenty-five  years.  Whenever a mental retardation hearing is held and a
    28  finding is rendered pursuant  to  this  paragraph,  the  court  may  not
    29  conduct  a  hearing  pursuant  to paragraph (a) of this subdivision. For
    30  purposes of this subdivision and paragraph (b) of  subdivision  nine  of
    31  this section, "mental retardation" means significantly subaverage gener-
    32  al intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adap-
    33  tive behavior which were manifested before the age of eighteen.
    34    §  18.  Subdivision 1 of section 440.20 of the criminal procedure law,
    35  as amended by chapter 1 of the laws of  1995,  is  amended  to  read  as
    36  follows:
    37    1.  At  any time after the entry of a judgment, the court in which the
    38  judgment was entered may, upon motion of the defendant,  set  aside  the
    39  sentence  upon the ground that it was unauthorized, illegally imposed or
    40  otherwise invalid as a matter of law.  Where  the  judgment  includes  a
    41  sentence of death, the court may also set aside the sentence upon any of
    42  the grounds set forth in paragraph (b), (c), (f), (g) or (h) of subdivi-
    43  sion  one of section 440.10 as applied to a separate sentencing proceed-
    44  ing under section 400.27, provided, however,  that  to  the  extent  the
    45  ground  or  grounds  asserted include one or more of the aforesaid para-
    46  graphs of subdivision one of section 440.10, the court must  also  apply
    47  subdivisions  two  and three of section 440.10, other than paragraph (d)
    48  of subdivision two of such section, in determining the  motion.  In  the
    49  event  the  court  enters  an  order  granting  a  motion to set aside a
    50  sentence of death under this section, the court must either direct a new
    51  sentencing proceeding in accordance  with  section  400.27  or,  to  the
    52  extent that the defendant cannot be resentenced to death consistent with
    53  the  laws  of  this  state  or  the constitution of this state or of the
    54  United States, resentence the defendant to  life  imprisonment  [without
    55  parole]  with  eligibility  for  parole  after twenty-five years or to a
    56  sentence of imprisonment for the class A-I felony of murder in the first

        A. 854                              8

     1  degree other than a sentence of life imprisonment [without parole]  with
     2  eligibility  for  parole  after  twenty-five  years.   Upon granting the
     3  motion upon any of the grounds set forth in the aforesaid paragraphs  of
     4  subdivision  one  of  section 440.10 and setting aside the sentence, the
     5  court must afford the people a reasonable period of  time,  which  shall
     6  not  be  less than ten days, to determine whether to take an appeal from
     7  the order setting aside the sentence of death. The taking of  an  appeal
     8  by  the  people  stays  the effectiveness of that portion of the court's
     9  order that directs a new sentencing proceeding.
    10    § 19. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 5 of section 470.30 of the
    11  criminal procedure law, as added by chapter 1 of the laws of  1995,  are
    12  amended to read as follows:
    13    (b) set the sentence aside and remand the case for resentencing pursu-
    14  ant to the procedures set forth in section 400.27 for a determination as
    15  to  whether the defendant shall be sentenced to death, life imprisonment
    16  [without parole] with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years  or
    17  to  a  term  of  imprisonment  for the class A-I felony of murder in the
    18  first degree other than a sentence of life imprisonment [without parole]
    19  with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years; or
    20    (c) set the sentence aside and remand the case for resentencing by the
    21  court for a determination as to whether the defendant shall be sentenced
    22  to life imprisonment [without parole] with eligibility for parole  after
    23  twenty-five  years or to a term of imprisonment for the class A-I felony
    24  of murder in the first degree other than a sentence of life imprisonment
    25  [without parole] with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years.
    26    § 20. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 70.25  of  the
    27  penal  law, as amended by chapter 372 of the laws of 1981, is amended to
    28  read as follows:
    29    Except as provided  in  subdivisions  two,  two-a  and  five  of  this
    30  section, when multiple sentences of imprisonment are imposed on a person
    31  at  the  same  time, or when a person who is subject to any undischarged
    32  term of imprisonment imposed at a previous time by a court of this state
    33  is sentenced to an additional term  of  imprisonment,  the  sentence  or
    34  sentences  imposed by the court shall run either concurrently or consec-
    35  utively with respect to each other and the undischarged term or terms in
    36  such manner as the court directs at the time of sentence.  Notwithstand-
    37  ing any other provision of the law to the contrary, no  defendant  shall
    38  be  sentenced  to serve consecutive terms of imprisonment which exceed a
    39  twenty-five year sentence. If the court does not specify the  manner  in
    40  which  a  sentence  imposed  by  it is to run, the sentence shall run as
    41  follows:
    42    § 21. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after  it  shall
    43  have become a law.
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