From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. Burrell

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 2, 1991
178 A.D.2d 422 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)

Opinion

December 2, 1991

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Greenberg, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

After a joint trial with a codefendant, the defendant was convicted of robbery in the second degree in connection with the second of three incidents occurring on the same day, involving the same complainant. The complainant maintained that he was assaulted by a group of unknown males, and after fleeing, he was caught by the same group of males, including the defendant, and beaten and robbed of his "walkman". After escaping again, the complainant alleged he was on his way to the police station, when another group of males, this time involving the codefendant, assaulted him and tried to rob him. 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. Furthermore, resolution of issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, are primarily questions to be determined by the jury, which saw and heard the witnesses (see, People v Gaimari, 176 N.Y. 84, 94). Its determination should be accorded great weight on appeal and should not be disturbed unless clearly unsupported by the record (see, People v Garafolo, 44 A.D.2d 86, 88). 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 470.15).

The defendant also contends that he was prejudiced by several improper summation comments by the prosecutor. We conclude, however, that the court's timely intervention, which included the sustaining of defense counsel's objection and the giving of curative instructions, as well as its subsequent extensive instructions, negated any prejudice that might have resulted from such improper comments (see, People v Smarr, 175 A.D.2d 584; People v Romero, 175 A.D.2d 383; People v Ogelsby, 128 A.D.2d 556). Furthermore, the defendant did not request any further curative instruction nor did he move for a mistrial on this ground, thereby implying his satisfaction with the court's curative instructions as given. Therefore, no error of law has been preserved for appellate review (CPL 470.05; see, People v Medina, 53 N.Y.2d 951, 953; People v Mabre, 166 A.D.2d 339, 341; People v Perez, 162 A.D.2d 477; People v Larsen, 157 A.D.2d 672). Bracken, J.P., Sullivan, Balletta and Copertino, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Burrell

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 2, 1991
178 A.D.2d 422 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
Case details for

People v. Burrell

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. HORACE BURRELL…

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

Date published: Dec 2, 1991

Citations

178 A.D.2d 422 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
577 N.Y.S.2d 289

Citing Cases

People v. Williams

The defendant's arguments regarding alleged prosecutorial misconduct during summation are partially…

People v. Wiggins

In any event, the defendant was not denied his right to a fair trial by the prosecutor's comments. Although…