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People v. Aster

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 24, 1986
124 A.D.2d 807 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

Opinion

November 24, 1986

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Queens County (Lakritz, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant's convictions arose out of a shooting which left one man dead and another injured, following a dispute over the victims' use of a pay telephone.

There was sufficient evidence for the jury to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant shot his victims intentionally and not in self-defense. Moreover, there was not "sufficient evidence of intoxication in the record for a reasonable person to entertain a doubt as to the element of intent on that basis" (People v Perry, 61 N.Y.2d 849, 850).

We further find that the trial court did not err by refusing the defense counsel's request to submit to the jury the lesser included offenses of manslaughter in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.15) and criminally negligent homicide (Penal Law § 125.10). No reasonable view of the defendant's testimony could support a finding that he was guilty of either of the requested lesser included offenses but not the greater offenses of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25), or manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.20; see, People v Glover, 57 N.Y.2d 61). Nor did the fact that the defendant interposed a justification defense mandate the submission of those lesser included offenses (cf. People v Cook, 96 A.D.2d 1059). Moreover, the trial court did not err by refusing to charge the affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance (Penal Law § 125.25 [a]; see, People v Walker, 64 N.Y.2d 741; People v Luke, 110 A.D.2d 717).

Additionally, we find that the defendant's sentence was not excessive given the senseless and violent nature of the shootings.

The defendant's remaining contentions are either without merit or are not preserved for appellate review and do not warrant review in the interest of justice. Thompson, J.P., Bracken, Lawrence and Eiber, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Aster

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 24, 1986
124 A.D.2d 807 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)
Case details for

People v. Aster

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. STEVEN ASTER, Appellant

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Nov 24, 1986

Citations

124 A.D.2d 807 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

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