People v. Campbell

OPINION OF THE COURT

Harold Beeler, J.

The issue here, of apparent first impression, is whether a defendant who enters a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor complaint thereby waives any challenge to the facial sufficiency of the accusatory instrument to which he has pleaded. More specifically, this court must determine whether the requirement in CPL 100.15 (3) and 100.40 (4) (b) that a misdemeanor complaint allege "facts of an evidentiary character” providing "reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the offense charged” is a jurisdictional prerequisite which cannot be waived, even…