People v. DL
SimpleOriginal

Summary

In this 2021 New York state case, D.L. was resentenced under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. The court found his trauma and crack cocaine addiction, rooted in years of childhood sexual abuse, justified a reduced sentence.

2021 | State Juristiction

People v. DL

Keywords D.L.; Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act; resentencing; New York state; trauma; crack cocaine addiction; childhood sexual abuse; reduced sentence; 2021 case; court
Open Case as PDF

Summary

The 2021 New York case of D.L. involved a resentencing under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. The court's decision to reduce the sentence was predicated on a determination that the defendant's history of childhood sexual abuse, resulting in substance use (crack cocaine addiction), constituted significant mitigating circumstances.

Open Case as PDF

D.L. Resentencing Under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act

The 2021 New York case of People v. D.L. exemplifies the application of the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). The court's decision to resentence D.L. hinged on a compelling nexus between his history of childhood sexual abuse, subsequent substance use (specifically crack cocaine addiction), and his commission of the crime. This determination highlights the DVSJA's consideration of trauma as a mitigating factor in sentencing. The reduced sentence reflects a judicial acknowledgement of the complex interplay between adverse childhood experiences and criminal behavior.

Open Case as PDF

D.L.'s Resentencing

A New York court in 2021 lowered D.L.'s sentence, citing the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. The judge considered D.L.'s history of childhood sexual abuse and resulting trauma and crack cocaine addiction as mitigating factors. This led to a reduced prison term.

Open Case as PDF

D.L.'s New Sentence

D.L. got a lighter sentence in New York in 2021. The judge decided that because he'd been through so much, including sexual abuse as a child, he deserved a break. He had been hurt badly as a child and also struggled with a drug problem., using crack cocaine The law, called the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, let the judge consider this.

Open Case as PDF

Footnotes and Citation

Cite

72 Misc.3d 257 (2021)

Highlights