People v Sean S.

Holding The court affirmed the denial of the defendant’s application for resentencing under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, finding that he failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that his childhood abuse was a significant contributing factor to his criminal behavior. The majority held that the defendant’s proof did not sufficiently link his past trauma to the specific acts of robbery and murder, which were instead attributed to other factors such as drug use and a desire to escape.

The court’s words

his submissions fell short of establishing by the requisite preponderance of the evidence that his childhood trauma was a significant contributing factor in his criminal behavior against the victims

2026 NY Slip Op 04678, at the official text

defendant in his affidavit attributed the criminal behavior to his consumption of alcohol and drugs on the day of the incident

2026 NY Slip Op 04678, at the official text

the DVSJA was meant to target a specific type of unjust sentencing—not to provide a mechanism for all victims of childhood trauma to escape responsibility for their actions

2026 NY Slip Op 04678, at the official text