Opinion
2012-06-29
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Bernard THOMAS, Jr., Defendant–Appellant.
The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., Buffalo (Susan C. Ministero of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant. Frank A. Sedita, III, District Attorney, Buffalo (Michael J. Hillery of Counsel), for Respondent.
The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., Buffalo (Susan C. Ministero of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant. Frank A. Sedita, III, District Attorney, Buffalo (Michael J. Hillery of Counsel), for Respondent.
PRESENT: CENTRA, J.P., FAHEY, PERADOTTO, CARNI, AND SCONIERS, JJ.
MEMORANDUM:
Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25[1] ). We conclude at the outset that Supreme Court properly refused to suppress DNA evidence obtained from defendant and certain statements that defendant made to the police. Contrary to defendant's contention, the DNA evidence was not obtained in violation of his right to counsel. The court properly determined that defendant was not in custody until well after that evidence was obtained ( see generally People v. Yukl, 25 N.Y.2d 585, 589, 307 N.Y.S.2d 857, 256 N.E.2d 172,cert. denied400 U.S. 851, 91 S.Ct. 78, 27 L.Ed.2d 89), and we thus conclude that defendant's waiver of the right to counsel during the interview in which that evidence was obtained was valid ( see People v. Davis, 75 N.Y.2d 517, 522–523, 554 N.Y.S.2d 460, 553 N.E.2d 1008;People v. Casey, 37 A.D.3d 1113, 1115–1116, 829 N.Y.S.2d 309,lv. denied8 N.Y.3d 983, 838 N.Y.S.2d 486, 869 N.E.2d 662). Defendant's further contention that his constitutional rights were violated by the use of the recorded jailhouse telephone conversations between defendant and his mother is not preserved for our review ( seeCPL 470.05[2] ), and we decline to exercise our power to review it as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice ( seeCPL 470.15[6][a] ). We conclude, however, that the court erred in refusing to suppress defendant's statements to his wife on the ground that they were subject to the marital privilege ( cf. People v. Felton, 145 A.D.2d 969, 970, 536 N.Y.S.2d 340,lv. denied73 N.Y.2d 1014, 541 N.Y.S.2d 769, 539 N.E.2d 597). The record of the suppression hearing established that those statements were obtained surreptitiously by the police, inasmuch as defendant and his wife were unaware that the police were monitoring their conversation from an adjacent room. Indeed, the statements were described at trial by the police rather than by defendant's wife. Nevertheless, we conclude that the error is harmless ( see generally People v. Crimmins, 36 N.Y.2d 230, 367 N.Y.S.2d 213, 326 N.E.2d 787).
Defendant further contends that he was denied a fair trial based on various erroneous rulings of the court at trial. Defendant failed to preserve for our review his contention that his constitutional right of confrontation was violated inasmuch as he failed to object to the questioning implicating that right during the prosecutor's cross-examination of him ( see generally People v. Dombroff, 44 A.D.3d 785, 787, 843 N.Y.S.2d 421,lv. denied9 N.Y.3d 1005, 850 N.Y.S.2d 393, 880 N.E.2d 879), and we decline to exercise our power to review that contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice ( seeCPL 470.15[6][a] ). Contrary to defendant's further contention, the court's “ ‘ Sandoval compromise ... reflects a proper exercise of the court's discretion’ ” ( People v. Kelly, 79 A.D.3d 1642, 1642, 913 N.Y.S.2d 846,lv. denied16 N.Y.3d 832, 921 N.Y.S.2d 196, 946 N.E.2d 184). Defendant contends that the court erred in denying his request to redact the recording of the jailhouse telephone call between defendant and his mother that was published by the People on rebuttal, in which defendant indicated that he would be willing to serve 10 to 15 years in prison. That contention lacks merit inasmuch as the court subsequently instructed the jury that it could not consider or speculate concerning matters related to sentencing or punishment, and the jury is presumed to have followed the court's instruction ( see People v. Davis, 58 N.Y.2d 1102, 1103–1104, 462 N.Y.S.2d 816, 449 N.E.2d 710;People v. McCullough, 8 A.D.3d 1122, 1122–1123, 778 N.Y.S.2d 333,lv. denied3 N.Y.3d 709, 785 N.Y.S.2d 37, 818 N.E.2d 679). Defendant did not preserve for our review his further contention that the court's limiting instruction should have been given when the subject recording was played for the jury ( seeCPL 470.05[2] ), and we decline to exercise our power to review that contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice ( seeCPL 470.15[6][a] ). We note that the loss of the subject recording does not preclude our review of defendant's present contention because we may glean from the record the relevant information from the recording ( see People v. Jackson, 11 A.D.3d 928, 930, 784 N.Y.S.2d 758,lv. denied3 N.Y.3d 757, 788 N.Y.S.2d 674, 821 N.E.2d 979;see generally People v. Yavru–Sakuk, 98 N.Y.2d 56, 60, 745 N.Y.S.2d 787, 772 N.E.2d 1145).
Even assuming, arguendo, that the court erred in denying defendant's request for a missing witness charge with respect to two witnesses ( see generally People v. Savinon, 100 N.Y.2d 192, 196–197, 761 N.Y.S.2d 144, 791 N.E.2d 401), we conclude that such error is harmless inasmuch as the evidence of defendant's guilt is overwhelming, and there is no significant probability that defendant would have been acquitted but for the error ( see generally Crimmins, 36 N.Y.2d at 241–242, 367 N.Y.S.2d 213, 326 N.E.2d 787). Contrary to defendant's contention, the court properly refused to charge manslaughter in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.15[1] ) as an additional lesser included offense of murder in the second degree (§ 125.25[1] [intentional murder] ) as charged in the indictment. “Although we agree with defendant that manslaughter in the second degree may be a lesser included offense of intentional murder ..., we conclude that there was no reasonable view of the evidence that would permit the jury to find that defendant committed manslaughter in the second degree but did not commit ... intentional murder” ( People v. Stanford, 87 A.D.3d 1367, 1368, 930 N.Y.S.2d 149,lv. denied18 N.Y.3d 886, 939 N.Y.S.2d 756, 963 N.E.2d 133;see also People v. Gonzalez, 302 A.D.2d 870, 871, 755 N.Y.S.2d 146,affd.1 N.Y.3d 464, 775 N.Y.S.2d 224, 807 N.E.2d 273).
We also conclude that the court properly denied defendant's motions for a mistrial based on the admission in evidence of defendant's October 28, 1975 statement to the police and the Miranda warnings card that defendant initialed in 1975 with respect to that statement. Those exhibits were properly admitted in evidence subsequent to the testimony of a police detective who authenticated the documents ( see Prince, Richardson on Evidence § 9–103[b] [Farrell 11th ed.] ). In addition, the court properly refused to grant defendant's motion for a mistrial based on one of the prosecutor's comments during summation ( see People v. Stanton, 43 A.D.3d 1299, 1299–1300, 842 N.Y.S.2d 637,lv. denied9 N.Y.3d 993, 848 N.Y.S.2d 611, 878 N.E.2d 1027). Defendant failed to preserve for our review his further contention that he was deprived of a fair trial based on several other alleged instances of prosecutorial misconduct ( seeCPL 470.05[2]; People v. Rumph, 93 A.D.3d 1346, 1347, 940 N.Y.S.2d 769;People v. Valez, 256 A.D.2d 135, 682 N.Y.S.2d 162,lv. denied93 N.Y.2d 879, 689 N.Y.S.2d 441, 711 N.E.2d 655). In any event, “ ‘any alleged [prosecutorial] misconduct was not so pervasive or egregious as to deprive defendant of a fair trial’ ” ( People v. Szyzskowski, 89 A.D.3d 1501, 1503, 933 N.Y.S.2d 497). The contention of defendant that he was denied a fair trial by the court's failure to submit to the jury the issue of the voluntariness of his statements to the police is also not preserved for our review inasmuch as defendant did not request that relief at trial, and we decline to exercise our power to review defendant's contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice ( see People v. Torres, 205 A.D.2d 350, 350–351, 613 N.Y.S.2d 171,lv. denied84 N.Y.2d 873, 618 N.Y.S.2d 18, 642 N.E.2d 337). There is no merit to defendant's further contention that the court erred in denying his motion for a trial order of dismissal with respect to the felony murder counts, of which he was acquitted. Defendant speculates that the alleged error “may well have led to a compromise verdict,” but “[a] compromise verdict is not a ground for reversal provided the verdict is not repugnant” ( People v. Fontanez, 254 A.D.2d 762, 765, 679 N.Y.S.2d 222,lv. denied93 N.Y.2d 852, 688 N.Y.S.2d 500, 710 N.E.2d 1099 [internal quotation marks omitted] ), and defendant does not contend that the verdict is repugnant.
Defendant waived his contention that the court erred in discharging a sworn juror at trial by consenting to such discharge ( see People v. Barner, 30 A.D.3d 1091, 1092, 815 N.Y.S.2d 862,lv. denied7 N.Y.3d 809, 822 N.Y.S.2d 484, 855 N.E.2d 800;cf. People v. Noguel, 93 A.D.3d 1319, 1320, 940 N.Y.S.2d 756;see also People v. Davis, 83 A.D.3d 860, 861, 920 N.Y.S.2d 678;see generally People v. Colon, 90 N.Y.2d 824, 826, 660 N.Y.S.2d 377, 682 N.E.2d 978). Viewing the evidence, the law and the circumstances of this case, in totality and as of the time of the representation, we reject defendant's contention that he was denied effective assistance of counsel ( see generally People v. Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137, 147, 444 N.Y.S.2d 893, 429 N.E.2d 400). Defendant's challenge to the legal sufficiency of the evidence is not preserved for our review because he failed to renew his motion for a trial order of dismissal after presenting evidence ( see People v. Hines, 97 N.Y.2d 56, 61, 736 N.Y.S.2d 643, 762 N.E.2d 329,rearg. denied97 N.Y.2d 678, 738 N.Y.S.2d 292, 764 N.E.2d 396). In any event, that challenge lacks merit. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the People ( see People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932), “we conclude that defendant'sintent to kill the victim was inferable from his conduct” ( People v. Lewis, 93 A.D.3d 1264, 1267, 940 N.Y.S.2d 722;see People v. Geddes, 49 A.D.3d 1255, 1255–1256, 856 N.Y.S.2d 336,lv. denied10 N.Y.3d 863, 860 N.Y.S.2d 489, 890 N.E.2d 252;cf. Gonzalez, 302 A.D.2d at 871, 755 N.Y.S.2d 146). In addition, viewing the evidence in light of the elements of the crime as charged to the jury ( see People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 349, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1), we further conclude that the verdict is not against the weight of the evidence ( see generally People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672). Finally, the sentence is not unduly harsh or severe.
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.