Opinion
1999-00336
Submitted November 5, 2001.
November 26, 2001.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Wade, J.), rendered December 21, 1998, convicting him of robbery in the first degree (five counts) and robbery in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Cristina D'Amato Arvoy, White Plains, N.Y., for appellant.
Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove and Rhea A. Grob of counsel), for respondent.
Before: FRED T. SANTUCCI, J.P., GLORIA GOLDSTEIN, LEO F. McGINITY, STEPHEN G. CRANE, JJ.
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.
Contrary to the defendant's contention, he received the effective assistance of counsel. In resolving claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, the critical issue is whether, viewed in totality, the defense counsel provided meaningful representation (see, People v. Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137, 147). The defendant's disagreement with the strategies and tactics employed by the defense counsel does not amount to a deprivation of effective assistance of counsel (see, People v. Flores, 84 N.Y.2d 184, 187).
The sentence imposed was not excessive (see, People v. Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80). Moreover, the Supreme Court properly imposed consecutive sentences where the crimes committed were based on separate and distinct acts (see, People v. Lee, 92 N.Y.2d 987, 989).
The defendant's remaining contentions are without merit.
SANTUCCI, J.P., GOLDSTEIN, McGINITY and CRANE, JJ., concur.