The laws defining crimes and procedures in New York are complicated…
Each Friday, we will post a #fridayfacts…
Under PL § 70.10, a person with two prior felonies (each with >1 year state prison served) may be adjudicated a persistent felony offender upon a third felony. If the judge finds that the defendant’s history and the crime’s circumstances warrant it to serve the public interest, the judge can sentence as if the crime were murder—meaning up to LIFE in prison, even if the underlying felony normally maxes at 4 years.