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People v. Caballero

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 9, 1990
160 A.D.2d 810 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)

Opinion

April 9, 1990

Appeal from the County Court, Nassau County, Lipp, J., Wexner, J.


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The testimony of the undercover police officer, to whom the defendant gave the cocaine, established that the defendant was alert and coherent throughout the transaction. Significantly, the defendant, who testified in his own behalf at trial, never claimed that he did not intend to participate in the transaction because he was inebriated.

Under the circumstances, we find that there was insufficient evidence in the record for a reasonable person to entertain a doubt that the defendant's intent was affected by his purported intoxication. Accordingly, the trial court properly declined to charge the jury with respect to the defendant's intoxication (Penal Law § 15.25; see, People v. Perry, 61 N.Y.2d 849; People v Orr, 35 N.Y.2d 829; People v. Iturrino, 117 A.D.2d 502).

The trial court did not err in declining to charge the affirmative defense of entrapment with respect to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. The tape recorded conversation between the defendant and the confidential informant established the defendant's willingness to participate in the drug transaction. Moreover, the defendant admitted at trial that he used cocaine and that on the day of the transaction he had ingested two grams of that substance.

Under the circumstances, we find that the defendant did not meet his burden of establishing that he did not have the predisposition to commit the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. Therefore, the court properly declined to charge entrapment with respect thereto (see, Penal Law § 40.05; People v. Butts, 72 N.Y.2d 746; People v. Alwadish, 67 N.Y.2d 973, 974; People v. Surpris, 125 A.D.2d 351; People v. Bradley, 112 A.D.2d 441; 1 CJI[NY] 40.05, at 924).

We have considered the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be without merit. Lawrence, J.P., Kunzeman, Rosenblatt and Miller, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Caballero

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 9, 1990
160 A.D.2d 810 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
Case details for

People v. Caballero

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. MAURO CABALLERO…

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

Date published: Apr 9, 1990

Citations

160 A.D.2d 810 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
553 N.Y.S.2d 848

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