Opinion
December 3, 1998
Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Budd Goodman, J.).
Evidence that defendant struggled with the undercover "ghost" officer over the officer's gun was properly admitted as relevant background to explain the actions of the police in the unusual fact pattern presented, and to complete the narrative of the episode (People v. Till, 87 N.Y.2d 835, 837). This testimony was also admissible as consciousness of guilt evidence, and was not unduly prejudicial as reference to defendant's grabbing for the gun was briefly mentioned only once and the court gave a prompt limiting instruction.
In this three-day drug trial, the court did not improvidently exercise its discretion in denying defense counsel's request for an indefinite mid-trial adjournment of at least one month, based upon a witness's subjective representation that, when he considered that his two open cases "were over", he would testify for the defense (People v. Foy, 32 N.Y.2d 473).
We perceive no abuse of sentencing discretion in light of all the factors presented here.
Defendant's remaining claims, including those contained in his pro se supplemental brief, are unpreserved and we decline to review them in the interest of justice. Were we to review them, we would reject them.
Concur — Rosenberger, J. P., Wallach, Rubin and Saxe, JJ.