PRESS RELEASE
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: FEBRUARY 27, 2013
The
Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the October,
2012 conviction of Devon Jones upon a plea of guilty convicting him of the
crimes of burglary in the first degree and robbery in the first degree, class B
violent felonies, as a result of a violent home invasion which took place in
Ellenville, New York in May, 2009 during which two victims were pistol whipped
and seriously injured while a three year old child was nearby. Several days later, the defendant was
involved in a second violent home invasion in Orange County for which he was
separately prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Defendant,
who was charged with multiple violent felony offenses but pled to burglary in
the first degree and robbery in the first degree in satisfaction of the eight
count indictment was sentenced by Ulster County Court Judge Williams to 25
years in State Prison, followed by five years postrelease supervision to be
served concurrently with the prison term imposed upon him for his Orange County
conviction.
On
appeal, the defendant challenged his sentence on the ground it was unduly harsh
and excessive, and also maintained that his plea was coerced by a threat by
County Court and that he had been deprived of meaningful representation by
defense counsel’s failure to move to suppress his statement to authorities in
Orange County. These claims were flatly
rejected by the Appellate Division, Third Department.
On
appeal, defendant is represented by Barrett D. Mack, Esq. of Valatie, New York.
Assistant District Attorney Carly
Wolfrom, Esq. handled the appeal for the Ulster County District Attorney’s
Office.
