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People v. Nieves

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 3, 1995
214 A.D.2d 590 (N.Y. App. Div. 1995)

Opinion

April 3, 1995

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Rohl, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant's contention that the People failed to disprove the defense of agency beyond a reasonable doubt is unpreserved for review (see, CPL 470.05; People v Bynum, 70 N.Y.2d 858; People v Udzinski, 146 A.D.2d 245, 250). In any event, it is without merit. While the defendant did not initiate the drug sale, there was evidence adduced at trial regarding the defendant's salesmanlike behavior, the absence of any prior relationship between the defendant and the undercover police officer who bought the drugs, and the discovery of one of the two $20 bills of prerecorded money in the defendant's pocket after his arrest. This evidence was sufficient for the jury to reject the agency defense (see, People v Roche, 45 N.Y.2d 78, cert denied 439 U.S. 958; People v Ricks, 183 A.D.2d 924).

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see, People v Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620), we find that it is legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, resolution of issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, are primarily questions to be determined by the jury which saw and heard the witnesses (see, People v Gaimari, 176 N.Y. 84, 94). Its determination should be accorded great weight and should not be disturbed unless clearly unsupported by the record (see, People v Garafolo, 44 A.D.2d 86, 88). Upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt is not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15).

We have considered the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be unpreserved for appellate review (see, CPL 470.05; People v Bynum, supra; People v Udzinski, supra) and, in any event, without merit. Sullivan, J.P., Copertino, Pizzuto and Krausman, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Nieves

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 3, 1995
214 A.D.2d 590 (N.Y. App. Div. 1995)
Case details for

People v. Nieves

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. HECTOR NIEVES…

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

Date published: Apr 3, 1995

Citations

214 A.D.2d 590 (N.Y. App. Div. 1995)
624 N.Y.S.2d 460

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