New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 65.20 — Sentence of unconditional discharge
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 65: Sentences of Probation, Conditional Discharge and Unconditional Discharge, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 65.20
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
65.20 Sentence of unconditional discharge.
1. Criteria. The court may impose a sentence of unconditional
discharge in any case where it is authorized to impose a sentence of
conditional discharge under section 65.05 if the court is of the opinion
that no proper purpose would be served by imposing any condition upon
the defendant's release.
When a sentence of unconditional discharge is imposed for a felony,
the court shall set forth in the record the reasons for its action.
2. Sentence. When the court imposes a sentence of unconditional
discharge, the defendant shall be released with respect to the
conviction for which the sentence is imposed without imprisonment, fine
or probation supervision. A sentence of unconditional discharge is for
all purposes a final judgment of conviction.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.