From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. Scarnati

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
May 9, 1988
140 A.D.2d 469 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)

Opinion

May 9, 1988

Appeal from the County Court, Nassau County (Harrington, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed, and the case is remitted to the County Court, Nassau County, for further proceedings pursuant to CPL 460.50 (5).

The electronic eavesdropping warrant was issued based on probable cause to believe that the defendant was committing the crimes of criminal usury in the first degree (Penal Law § 190.42) and criminal usury in the second degree (Penal Law § 190.40; see, People v Bigelow, 66 N.Y.2d 417, 423; People v Manuli, 104 A.D.2d 386). While each singular allegation of fact contained in the affidavit would have been insufficient standing alone, in the aggregate probable cause was established (People v Manuli, supra, at 387; see, United States v Shakur, 560 F. Supp. 337, 345). Additionally, given the initial showing, coupled with the ongoing nature of the defendant's usurious activities, probable cause existed that electronic eavesdropping in the defendant's car and over his home telephone would yield evidence of such offenses (see, CPL 700.15; see, People v Mazzarello, 116 A.D.2d 808, lv denied 67 N.Y.2d 886).

The absence in the warrant of the statutory directive that interceptions must terminate upon attainment of authorized objectives (CPL 700.30) was not fatal, as the warrant did direct termination within 30 days during which progress reports were produced before the issuing Justice, and the subsequent extensions each included all statutorily mandated language (see, People v Baris, 116 A.D.2d 174, lv denied 67 N.Y.2d 1050; People v Palozzi, 44 A.D.2d 224). While we are mindful that electronic eavesdropping warrants and the concomitant intrusion into one's privacy are generally strictly construed (see, e.g., People v Washington, 46 N.Y.2d 116), the instant omission caused the defendant to suffer no prejudice whatsoever and as such was de minimis (see, People v Solomon, 74 Misc.2d 926).

Finally, by specifically requesting the lesser included charge of criminal usury in the second degree, the defendant waived geographical jurisdictional objections (see, CPL 20.40) to this prosecution in the County Court, Nassau County. Under the indictment, the defendant was charged with criminal usury in the first degree (Penal Law § 190.42) for crimes occurring in both Nassau and Queens Counties. His subsequent request for jury consideration of the lesser included offense of criminal usury in the second degree waived his objections that certain of the crimes of which he was convicted occurred solely in Queens County. When an error in the charge comes at the request of the defendant, he may not be heard to complain on appeal (People v Shaffer, 66 N.Y.2d 663; People v Glover, 57 N.Y.2d 61; see also, People v Weissinger, 104 A.D.2d 917, 918).

We have examined the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be without merit (see, People v Basilicato, 64 N.Y.2d 103; People v Winograd, 68 N.Y.2d 383; People v Rumpel, 111 A.D.2d 481; People v Gallina, 95 A.D.2d 336; People v Versace, 73 A.D.2d 304). Bracken, J.P., Lawrence, Kunzeman and Harwood, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Scarnati

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
May 9, 1988
140 A.D.2d 469 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)
Case details for

People v. Scarnati

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ANTHONY SCARNATI…

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

Date published: May 9, 1988

Citations

140 A.D.2d 469 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)

Citing Cases

People v. Campaigni

We reject defendant's argument that the wiretaps were not terminated upon the achievement of their authorized…

People v. Booker

The defendant's argument that the court's charge to the jury and the jury verdict sheet were inadequate on…