Appellate court rejects petition from Steuben County woman - Corrected

A New York State Appellate court on Friday rejected a petition filed on behalf of a Steuben County woman. 29-year-old Sarah A. Murphy-Sears of Bath is currently serving a 4-8 years prison sentence after being convicted of felony counts of welfare fraud and 2nd degree attempted assault. From the court:

Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting her, upon her plea of guilty, of attempted assault in the second degree. Contrary to her contention, the

record demonstrates that defendant validly waived her right to appeal. Defendant’s valid waiver of her right to appeal forecloses her challenge to the severity of her sentence. The Court said "We decline to exercise our power to review those challenges as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice." According to the New York State Department of Corrections, Murphy-Sears is currently an inmate at Bedford Hills. She was denied parole in 2017.