34 A.D.3d 1193 823 N.Y.S.2d 805

The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Nathaniel Washington, Appellant.

[823 NYS2d 805]

Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Erie County (Russell P Buscaglia, A.J.), rendered August 25, 2003. The judgment convicted defendant, upon a jury verdict, of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

It is hereby ordered that the judgment so appealed from be and the same hereby is unanimously affirmed.

Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him following a jury trial of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25 [1]) and criminal possession of a weapon in the *1194second degree (§ 265.03 [2]). Supreme Court properly admitted into evidence the sworn statement of a witness who refused to testify at trial. The People established by clear and convincing evidence at the Sirois hearing (see Matter of Holtzman v Hellenbrand, 92 AD2d 405 [1983]) that misconduct by defendant or others acting at his behest caused that witness to be unavailable to testify at defendant’s trial (see People v Chandler, 30 AD3d 161 [2006]; see generally People v Geraci, 85 NY2d 359 [1995]). The court properly exercised its discretion in precluding defendant from introducing reputation testimony and collateral evidence purportedly bearing on the credibility of that witness (see generally People v Bosier, 6 NY3d 523, 528 [2006]; Chandler, 30 AD3d at 162). The court also properly refused to permit defendant to introduce into evidence the hearsay testimony of a police detective regarding descriptions of the shooter provided by two witnesses who did not testify (see generally People v Huertas, 75 NY2d 487, 492 [1990]). Further, assuming that those descriptions constituted Brady material, we conclude that defendant had a meaningful opportunity to use that material and was thus not denied a fair trial by the timing of its delivery (see People v Cortijo, 70 NY2d 868, 870 [1987]; People v Concepcion, 262 AD2d 1058 [1999], lv denied 94 NY2d 821 [1999]). Defendant failed to preserve for our review his contention that the evidence is legally insufficient to support the conviction (see People v Gray, 86 NY2d 10, 19 [1995]), and the verdict is not against the weight of the evidence (see generally People v Bleakley, 69 NY2d 490, 495 [1987]). The court properly rejected defendant’s Batson challenge to the prosecutor’s use of a peremptory challenge with respect to an African-American prospective juror. “ ‘The court was in the best position to observe the demeanor of the prospective juror[ ] and the prosecutor,’ and its determination that the prosecutor’s explanation was race-neutral and not pretextual is entitled to great deference” (People v Lawrence, 23 AD3d 1039, 1039 [2005], lv denied 6 NY3d 835 [2006], quoting People v Williams, 13 AD3d 1214, 1215 [2004], lv denied 4 NY3d 857 [2005]). Finally, the sentence is not unduly harsh or severe. Present—Hurlbutt, J.E, Scudder, Gorski and Green, JJ.

People v. Washington
34 A.D.3d 1193 823 N.Y.S.2d 805

Case Details

Name
People v. Washington
Decision Date
Nov 17, 2006
Citations

34 A.D.3d 1193

823 N.Y.S.2d 805

Jurisdiction
New York

References

Referencing

Nothing yet... Still searching!

Referenced By

Nothing yet... Still searching!