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People v. Nicholas

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 20, 1993
199 A.D.2d 425 (N.Y. App. Div. 1993)

Opinion

December 20, 1993

Appeal from the County Court, Westchester County (Silverman, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The County Court properly denied the defendant's motion to suppress the physical evidence seized from his vehicle. The police had probable cause both to arrest the defendant and to believe that his vehicle contained evidence related to the crime for which he was arrested (see, People v Langen, 60 N.Y.2d 170, cert denied 465 U.S. 1028; People v Belton, 55 N.Y.2d 49).

We find no merit to the defendant's contention that the testimony of a prosecution witness regarding his conversation with the defendant in a courthouse holding cell should have been suppressed. There was no evidence that the witness was deliberately "planted" in the defendant's presence by the prosecution (cf., People v Brooks, 83 A.D.2d 349). The witness provided the information on his own initiative and therefore cannot be considered an agent of the government (see, People v Cardona, 41 N.Y.2d 333).

The County Court properly denied the defendant's request for an accomplice charge as to the three eyewitnesses, since there was no evidence to support the inference that either of the three was an accomplice (see, CPL 60.22; People v Tucker, 72 N.Y.2d 849, 850; People v Torres, 160 A.D.2d 746, 747).

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see, People v Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620), we find that it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15). Any inconsistencies in the evidence at trial were for the jury to resolve, and its determination is entitled to great weight on appeal (see, People v Garafolo, 44 A.D.2d 86, 88).

The sentence imposed was not excessive (see, People v Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80).

We have considered the issues raised by the defendant in his supplemental pro se brief and find them to be without merit. O'Brien, J.P., Copertino, Pizzuto and Santucci, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Nicholas

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 20, 1993
199 A.D.2d 425 (N.Y. App. Div. 1993)
Case details for

People v. Nicholas

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. JASON B. NICHOLAS…

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

Date published: Dec 20, 1993

Citations

199 A.D.2d 425 (N.Y. App. Div. 1993)
605 N.Y.S.2d 344

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