Recently Enacted Legislation: Authorizing a Sentencing Court to Consider an Application for Poor Person Relief on Appeal

Governor Cuomo signed legislation that will amend the Criminal Procedure Law to provide the authority to grant poor person relief to the sentencing judge upon application of defense counsel (A.9522/S.7246, Chp. 459). The Criminal Justice Operations Committee supported this amendment, as it would make it less cumbersome for defendants who have already been deemed eligible for poor person relief at the trial level to be eligible for assigned counsel on appeal. The legislation went into effect on its enactment date, November 25.