From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. James

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Oct 13, 1998
254 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)

Opinion

October 13, 1998

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


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant contends that the People failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant accurately and reasonably identified him as one of the robbers. However, the defendant's motion for a trial order of dismissal due to the People's failure to prove a prima facie case was not sufficiently specific to preserve this claim for appellate review ( see, People v. Johnson, 185 A.D.2d 247). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution ( see, People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620), we find that it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The record establishes that the complainant was, at one point, face-to-face with the defendant, and also had observed the defendant through the rear-view mirror of his taxicab, in which the defendant had been a passenger. The complainant testified that there was sufficient lighting in the street and alleyway where the robbery occurred to enable him to see the defendant's face, and he unequivocally identified the defendant in court as one of his assailants. The defendant also admitted in his signed statement that he robbed the complainant. Moreover, upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence ( see, CPL 47015 [5]).

The defendant's challenges to various remarks made by the prosecutor during summation were not objected to at trial and thus are unpreserved for appellate review ( see, CPL 470.05; People v. Scotti, 220 A.D.2d 543; People v. Udzinski, 146 A.D.2d 245), and in any event, are without merit.

The defendant's sentence was not excessive ( see, People v. Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80).

Rosenblatt, J. P., Miller, Goldstein and McGinity, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. James

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Oct 13, 1998
254 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)
Case details for

People v. James

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. CHRIS K. JAMES, Also…

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

Date published: Oct 13, 1998

Citations

254 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)
678 N.Y.S.2d 731

Citing Cases

Williams v. Walsh

of the prosecution's case, without citation to any specific evidentiary deficiencies, is inadequate to…

Williams v. Walsh

Although some cases have held that a motion to dismiss based on the failure to prove a prima facie case is…