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People v. Barcomb

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Dec 24, 1998
256 A.D.2d 926 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)

Opinion

December 24, 1998

Appeal from the County Court of Greene County (Pulver, Jr., J.).


Convicted of sodomy in the third degree and rape in the third degree as the result of his sexual contact with an 11-year-old female, defendant now appeals, contending primarily that the victim's trial testimony was insufficient to establish the elements of sexual intercourse and deviate sexual intercourse (see, Penal Law § 130.00, [2]). Specifically, defendant claims that the victim failed to provide sufficient detail about the specific sexual conduct she engaged in with defendant to establish that sexual intercourse and oral sex occurred. We are unpersuaded.

Defendant's written confession, which described in graphic detail his sexual relations with the victim, was of itself sufficient to establish his culpability (see, People v. Safian, 46 N.Y.2d 181, 186, cert denied sub nom. Miner v. New York, 443 U.S. 912; People v. Morgan, 246 A.D.2d 686, 686-687, lv denied 91 N.Y.2d 975). In this instance, the victim's testimony was necessary only to corroborate defendant's confession (see, CPL 60.50; People v. Booden, 69 N.Y.2d 185, 187). Notably, CPL 60.50 does not require corroboration of a defendant's confession in every detail, but only some proof "that the offense charged has in fact been committed by someone" (People v. Booden, supra, at 187). The victim's testimony that she knew what sexual intercourse and "oral intercourse" were and that she had performed these acts with defendant on several occasions was ample for that purpose (see, id., at 187; People v. Safian, supra, at 186; People v. Murray, 40 N.Y.2d 327, 332, cert denied 430 U.S. 948).

We have considered defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be lacking in merit.

Cardona, P. J., White, Spain and Graffeo, JJ., concur.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.


Summaries of

People v. Barcomb

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Dec 24, 1998
256 A.D.2d 926 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)
Case details for

People v. Barcomb

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. JOHN BARCOMB, Appellant

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

Date published: Dec 24, 1998

Citations

256 A.D.2d 926 (N.Y. App. Div. 1998)
683 N.Y.S.2d 311

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