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People v. Dennis

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Oct 31, 1994
208 A.D.2d 945 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)

Opinion

October 31, 1994

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


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant, Antwon Dennis, was convicted of murder in the second degree for the shooting of Zachary Jones. At trial, it was established that the defendant had become involved in an argument between Jones and the boyfriend of Jones's daughter, who allegedly sold drugs for the defendant. After telling Jones's son not to get his father a knife and after assuring the boyfriend that he would "take care of it," the defendant left the scene and returned approximately five minutes later with a gun. The defendant then shot Jones repeatedly, and, after Jones collapsed, the defendant fired a final shot into his head. Although the witnesses to the shooting testified that three shots had been fired, the autopsy revealed that six bullets had entered Jones's body.

Contrary to the defendant's contention, the trial court correctly refused to charge manslaughter in the first degree as a lesser included offense of murder in the second degree. There is no reasonable view of the evidence that would support a finding that the defendant intended to cause serious physical injury rather than death (see, CPL 300.50; People v. Glover, 57 N.Y.2d 61; People v. Green, 56 N.Y.2d 427). The eyewitness testimony establishes that the defendant fired a final shot into Jones's head after he had collapsed and had fallen to the floor (see, e.g., People v. Holmes, 196 A.D.2d 555, cert denied ___ US ___, 127 L Ed 2d 408; People v. Evans, 192 A.D.2d 671; People v Ochoa, 142 A.D.2d 741).

We have examined the defendant's remaining contention and find it to be without merit. Sullivan, J.P., Balletta, Lawrence and Florio, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Dennis

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Oct 31, 1994
208 A.D.2d 945 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)
Case details for

People v. Dennis

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ANTWON DENNIS, Also…

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

Date published: Oct 31, 1994

Citations

208 A.D.2d 945 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)
617 N.Y.S.2d 908

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