A state appeals court has overturned the risk-level designation of Stephanie Ridley, a Dundee resident previously convicted in connection with a 2023 child sex trafficking ring in Yates County.
In November 2023, State Supreme Court Justice Jason L. Cook ruled that Ridley was a level three risk under the Sex Offender Registration Act. However, according to the New York Daily Record, the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division unanimously reversed that decision, citing procedural errors.
The court found that Cook had assigned points to Ridley without a request from the prosecution and failed to explain the legal basis for his ruling, violating her due process rights. While the prosecution argued that any errors were harmless, the appellate panel disagreed, noting that Cook also erred in granting an upward departure to risk level three without properly weighing aggravating and mitigating factors.
The court wrote, “We reverse the order, vacate defendant’s risk level determination, and remit the matter to the Supreme Court for a new risk level determination and a new hearing, if necessary.”
Ridley’s appellate attorney, Michael Jos. Witmer, had challenged the assignment of points related to sexual intercourse with the victim, though the court upheld that the prosecution had met its burden under the circumstances.
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