Opinion
10-19-2017
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Arnold MOYE, Defendant–Appellant.
Robert S. Dean, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (Samuel E. Steinbock–Pratt of Counsel), for appellant. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Jared Wolkowitz of Counsel), for respondent.
Robert S. Dean, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (Samuel E. Steinbock–Pratt of Counsel), for appellant.
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Jared Wolkowitz of Counsel), for respondent.
Viewed as a whole, including the supplemental instructions, we find that the court's instructions conveyed the correct standard on the crime of first-degree robbery, including the element of the threatened use of a dangerous instrument (see Penal Law § 160.15[3] ; People v. Ladd, 89 N.Y.2d 893, 895–896, 653 N.Y.S.2d 259, 675 N.E.2d 1211 [1996] ; see also People v. Melendez, 242 A.D.2d 493, 494, 662 N.Y.S.2d 121 [1st Dept.1997] ). The court properly explained that display of an instrument alone is not enough, and that display of the instrument must be accompanied by circumstances that convey a threat of immediate use (see People v. Pena, 50 N.Y.2d 400, 407 n. 2, 429 N.Y.S.2d 410, 406 N.E.2d 1347 [1980], cert. denied 449 U.S. 1087, 101 S.Ct. 878, 66 L.Ed.2d 814 [1981] ; People v. Sharma, 112 A.D.3d 494, 495, 976 N.Y.S.2d 468 [1st Dept.2013], lv. denied 23 N.Y.3d 1025, 992 N.Y.S.2d 808, 16 N.E.3d 1288 [2014] ).
The positioning of a court officer behind defendant when he testified was minimally intrusive and did not deprive defendant of a fair trial (see People v. Gamble, 18 N.Y.3d 386, 397, 941 N.Y.S.2d 1, 964 N.E.2d 372 [2012] ). In any event, if there was error involving the court's decision on courtroom security, it was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt (see People v. Clyde, 18 N.Y.3d 145, 153–154, 938 N.Y.S.2d 243, 961 N.E.2d 634 [2011], cert. denied 566 U.S. 944, 132 S.Ct. 1921, 182 L.Ed.2d 784 [2012] ; People v. Lucas, 131 A.D.3d 875, 876, 17 N.Y.S.3d 109 [1st Dept.2015], lv. denied 26 N.Y.3d 1090, 23 N.Y.S.3d 647, 44 N.E.3d 945 [2015] ).
We perceive no basis for reducing the sentence.
ACOSTA, P.J., FRIEDMAN, WEBBER, OING, and MOULTON, JJ., concur.