Opinion
2009-05247, 2009-05249.
Decided on October 25, 2011.
Appeals by the defendant from (1) a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Kron, J.), rendered May 13, 2009, convicting him of burglary in the second degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree under Indictment No. 2324/07, upon a jury verdict, and imposing an indeterminate term of imprisonment of 23 years to life upon his conviction of burglary in the second degree and a definite term of imprisonment of 1 year upon his conviction of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, to run concurrently with each other, and (2) a judgment of the same court (Griffin, J.), rendered May 28, 2009, convicting him of burglary in the second degree under Indictment No. 595/09, upon his plea of guilty, and imposing an indeterminate term of imprisonment of 23 years to life, to run concurrently with the indeterminate term of imprisonment of 23 years to life imposed upon his conviction of burglary in the second degree under Indictment No. 2324/07. The appeal from the judgment rendered May 13, 2009, brings up for review the denial of that branch of the defendant's omnibus motion, made after a hearing (Grosso, J.), which was to suppress identification testimony.
ORDERED that the judgments are modified, as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice, by reducing the indeterminate terms of imprisonment of 23 years to life imposed upon the defendant's convictions of burglary in the second degree under Indictment Nos. 2324/07 and 595/09, to run concurrently with each other, to indeterminate terms of imprisonment of 18 years to life, to run concurrently with each other; as so modified, the judgments are affirmed.
Lynn W. L. Fahey, New York, N.Y. (Sarah J. Berger of counsel), for appellant, and appellant pro se.
Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (John M. Castellano, Nicoletta J. Caferri, and Merri Turk Lasky of counsel), for respondent.
PETER B. SKELOS, J.P., RUTH C. BALKIN, JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, L. PRISCILLA HALL, JJ.
DECISION ORDER
The defendant's contention that the showup identification procedure was unduly suggestive is without merit ( see People v Amico , 78 AD3d 1190 ; People v Parris , 70 AD3d 725 ; People v Gonzalez , 61 AD3d 775 ; People v Guy , 47 AD3d 643 ; People v Cruz , 31 AD3d 660 ; People v Rodgers , 6 AD3d 464 , 465).
The defendant's contention that he was deprived of a fair trial by certain remarks made by the prosecutor during summation is unpreserved for appellate review, as the defendant either failed to object to the comments or made only general objections, and did not request further curative instructions or move for a mistrial ( see CPL 470.05; People v Banks , 74 AD3d 1214 ). In any event, the challenged remarks were fair comment on the evidence, permissible rhetorical comment, or responsive to defense counsel's summation ( see People v Ashwal, 39 NY2d 105, 109-110).
The defendant failed to preserve for appellate review his argument that the persistent violent felony offender sentencing scheme under Penal Law § 70.08 violates the principles articulated by the United States Supreme Court in Apprendi v New Jersey ( 530 US 466) ( see CPL 470.05; People v Kelly , 16 NY3d 803 ; People v Mendez , 71 AD3d 696). In any event, the argument is without merit ( see People v Bell , 15 NY3d 935 , 936, cert deniedUS, 131 S Ct 2885; People v Leon , 10 NY3d 122 ; People v Amico , 78 AD3d 1190 ; People v Kelly , 68 AD3d 895 ; People v Winfield , 63 AD3d 969 ; People v Wells , 63 AD3d 967 ; People v Mitchell , 59 AD3d 739 ).
The sentences imposed were excessive to the extent indicated herein.
The contention raised in the defendant's pro se supplemental brief, that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel, is without merit ( see People v Benevento, 91 NY2d 708; People v Baldi, 54 NY2d 137).
SKELOS, J.P., BALKIN, LEVENTHAL and HALL, JJ., concur.