Opinion
07-26-2017
The PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. James CARTER, appellant.
Lynn W.L. Fahey, New York, NY (Denise A. Corsi of counsel), for appellant. Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, NY (John M. Castellano, Johnnette Traill, Nancy Fitzpatrick Talcottt, and Deborah E. Wassel of counsel), for respondent.
Lynn W.L. Fahey, New York, NY (Denise A. Corsi of counsel), for appellant.
Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, NY (John M. Castellano, Johnnette Traill, Nancy Fitzpatrick Talcottt, and Deborah E. Wassel of counsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Lopresto, J.), rendered August 12, 2013, convicting him of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.
The defendant was convicted of selling oxycodone pills to his codefendant, Kevin Leland. Contrary to the defendant's contention, the postarrest written statement of Leland was not shown to be against Leland's penal interest, as it was largely exculpatory (see People v. Singh, 47 A.D.3d 733, 734, 849 N.Y.S.2d 606 ). Therefore, the statement was properly excluded as inadmissible hearsay. Since the statement was properly excluded as inadmissible hearsay, the defendant's contention that exclusion of the statement violated his constitutional right to present a defense is without merit (see People v. Simmons, 84 A.D.3d 1120, 924 N.Y.S.2d 273 ; People v. Cepeda, 208 A.D.2d 364, 616 N.Y.S.2d 737 ).
The defendant's contention that certain comments made by the prosecutor during summation deprived him of a fair trial is unpreserved for appellate review, as defense counsel either did not object to the challenged remarks or made only general objections (see CPL 470.05[2] ; People v. Alvarado, 126 A.D.3d 803, 805, 5 N.Y.S.3d 271 ; People v. Taylor, 120 A.D.3d 519, 520, 990 N.Y.S.2d 635 ). In any event, the challenged summation remarks were fair comment on the evidence, constituted a fair response to defense counsel's summation, or otherwise do not warrant reversal (see People v. Galloway, 54 N.Y.2d 396, 399, 446 N.Y.S.2d 9, 430 N.E.2d 885 ; People v. Johnson, 127 A.D.3d 785, 786, 4 N.Y.S.3d 541 ).
The defendant's remaining contentions are without merit.
CHAMBERS, J.P., MILLER, HINDS–RADIX and LaSALLE, JJ., concur.