From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. Andrews

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jun 8, 1987
131 A.D.2d 580 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

Opinion

June 8, 1987

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Queens County (O'Dwyer, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

Although the defendant contends that his guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt based upon the seeming inconsistencies in the testimony of the police witnesses, that testimony presented questions of credibility properly resolved by the jury in favor of the People. Contrary to the defendant's assertions, the testimony of the complainant police officer was not incredible as a matter of law (see, e.g., People v Coaye, 110 A.D.2d 904, mod on other grounds 68 N.Y.2d 857), and, upon the exercise of our factual review power, the evidence in the record established the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence (CPL 470.15; see, People v Gebert, 118 A.D.2d 799, lv denied 67 N.Y.2d 943).

We also find that the trial court properly ruled that the defense attorney, through her cross-examination of the police witnesses, created the inference of recent fabrication concerning the assault charges against the defendant. On that basis, it properly admitted evidence of prior consistent statements made by these witnesses at a time when there was no motive to falsify (see, People v Davis, 44 N.Y.2d 269).

We further find no merit to the defendant's claim that the trial court unfairly curtailed defense counsel's summation by sustaining numerous objections raised by the prosecutrix as to many of her remarks. Defense counsel exceeded the bounds of fair comment by, for example, referring to matters not in evidence and calling upon the jury to draw conclusions which were not fairly inferable from the evidence (see, People v Ashwal, 39 N.Y.2d 105, 109-110).

We have reviewed the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be without merit. Mangano, J.P., Brown, Eiber and Harwood, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Andrews

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jun 8, 1987
131 A.D.2d 580 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)
Case details for

People v. Andrews

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. MAURICE ANDREWS…

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

Date published: Jun 8, 1987

Citations

131 A.D.2d 580 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

Citing Cases

People v. King

Resolution of issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, are…

People v. Herrera

This contention is without merit. Defense counsel exceeded the bounds of fair comment by calling upon the…