Final appeal denied for Clifton Park businessman serving time for serious crash

A Clifton Park businessman serving a seven-year prison sentence for assault has exhausted all his appeals.
John Cole was convicted of assault related to a 2017 alcohol-related crash that left a passenger in his car a quadriplegic.

The owner of the Cole’s Collision chain learned that the Appellate Division has rejected his fourth and final appeal.

Cole argued that his conviction should be overturned because he received ineffective counsel.

He claimed his attorney, Cheryl Coleman, prevented him from testifying.

The Appellate Court found that the trial judge told Cole it was his decision whether or not to testify, not his attorney’s.

Cole is eligible for release from prison in November 2025.