Majority
Appeal by the defendant from an order of the County Court, Suffolk County (Kahn, J.), dated May 14, 2014, which, after a hearing, designated him a level three sex offender pursuant to Correction Law article 6-C.
Ordered that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
“The Risk Assessment Guidelines and Commentary promulgated by the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders contain four overrides that automatically result in a presumptive risk assessment of level three” (People v Lobello, 123 AD3d 993 , 994 [2014]; see Sex Offender Registration Act: Risk Assessment Guidelines and Commentary at 3 [2006]; People v Schiavoni, 107 AD3d 773 , 773 [2013]; People v Martin, 79 AD3d 717 , 717 [2010]). “The People bear the burden of proving the applicability of a particular override by clear and convincing evidence” (People v Lobello, 123 AD3d at 994 ; see Correction Law § 168-n [3]; People v Schiavoni, 107 AD3d at 773 ; People v Martin, 79 AD3d at 717 ). Contrary to the defendant’s contention, the People established by clear and convincing evidence the ap
In any event, even absent the aforementioned override, under the facts of this case, an upward departure to risk level three was warranted based on aggravating factors which the People established by clear and convincing evidence (see People v Rotunno, 117 AD3d 1019 , 1019 [2014]; People v DeJesus, 117 AD3d 1017 , 1018 [2014]; People v Willette, 115 AD3d 920 , 920-921 [2014]). Moreover, contrary to the defendant’s contention, the County Court properly denied his request for a downward departure. The factors he asserted in support of his request for a downward departure were not, as a matter of law, appropriate mitigating circumstances since they were adequately taken into account by the risk assessment instrument (see People v Gillotti, 23 NY3d 841 , 861 [2014]; People v Wyatt, 89 AD3d 112 , 123 [2011]).
Accordingly, the defendant was properly designated a level three sex offender.
Rivera, J.P., Dickerson, Chambers and Barros, JJ., concur.
Cases cited
- People v. Lobello 123 AD3d 993 at 994 p. 687
- People v. Schiavoni 107 AD3d 773 at 773 p. 687
- People v. Martin 79 AD3d 717 at 717 p. 687
- People v. Ledbetter 82 AD3d 858 at 858 p. 688
- People v. DeJesus 117 AD3d 1017 at 1018 p. 688
- People v. Willette 115 AD3d 920 at 920-921 p. 688
- People v. Gillotti 23 NY3d 841 at 861 p. 688
- People v. Wyatt 89 AD3d 112 at 123 p. 688