N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 460.40: Effect of taking of appeal upon judgment or order of courts below; when stayed

§ 460.40 Effect of taking of appeal upon judgment or order of courts

below; when stayed.

1. The taking of an appeal by the defendant directly to the court of

appeals, pursuant to subdivision one of section 450.70, from a superior

court judgment including a sentence of death stays the execution of such

sentence. Except as provided in subdivision two of this section, in no

other case does the taking of an appeal, by either party, in and of

itself stay the execution of any judgment, sentence or order of either a

criminal court or an intermediate appellate court.

2. The taking of an appeal by the people to an intermediate appellate

court pursuant to subdivision one-a of section 450.20, from an order

reducing a count or counts of an indictment or dismissing an indictment

and directing the filing of a prosecutor's information, stays the effect

of such order. In addition, the taking of an appeal by the people to an

intermediate appellate court pursuant to subdivision one of section

450.20, from an order dismissing a count or counts of an indictment

charging murder in the first degree, stays the effect of such order.

3. Within six months of the effective date of this subdivision, the

court of appeals shall adopt rules to ensure that a defendant is granted

a stay of the execution of any death warrant issued pursuant to article

twenty-two-B of the correction law to allow the defendant an opportunity

to prepare and timely file an initial motion pursuant to section 440.10

or 440.20 seeking to set aside a sentence of death or vacate a judgment

including a sentence of death and to allow the motion and any appeal

from the denial thereof to be timely determined. The rules shall provide

that in the event a defendant seeks to file any subsequent motion with

respect to the judgment or sentence following a final determination of

the defendant's initial motion pursuant to section 440.10 or 440.20, a

motion for a stay of the execution of the death warrant may only be

granted for good cause shown. The people and the defendant shall have a

right to appeal to the court of appeals from orders granting or denying

such stay motions and any rules adopted pursuant to this subdivision

shall provide that the court of appeals may affirm such orders, reverse

them or modify them upon such terms as the court deems appropriate and

shall provide for the expeditious perfection and determination of such

appeals. Prior to adoption of the rules, the court of appeals shall

issue proposed rules and receive written comments thereon from

interested parties.