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People v. Benjamin

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jan 25, 1999
257 A.D.2d 660 (N.Y. App. Div. 1999)

Opinion

January 25, 1999.

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Queens County (Robinson, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant argues that the People did not meet their burden of establishing that the police officers' warrantless entry into his home was made with his consent or justified by exigent circumstances ( see, Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573; People v. Levan, 62 N.Y.2d 139, 142). Assuming, arguendo, that this argument has merit, the record supports the hearing court's finding that the defendant's videotaped statement was sufficiently attenuated from his arrest ( see, People v. Conyers, 68 N.Y.2d 982), and therefore that branch of his motion which was to suppress this statement was properly denied.

Although the defendant's written statement to the police was not sufficiently attenuated from his arrest ( see, People v. Harris, 77 N.Y.2d 434, 440-441), the admission of this statement at trial was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt ( see, People v. Flecha, 60 N.Y.2d 766; People v. Sanders, 56 N.Y.2d 51, 66-67). The content of the defendant's written statement, which was largely exculpatory ( see, People v. Modeste, 247 A.D.2d 491), was duplicative of his more detailed videotaped statement, which was properly introduced into evidence ( see, People v. Brown, 244 A.D.2d 347, 348; People v. Nisbett, 225 A.D.2d 801). Accordingly, there is no reasonable possibility that the jury would have acquitted the defendant if his written statement had not been introduced at trial ( see, People v. Flecha, supra).

O'Brien, J.P., Santucci, Joy and Goldstein, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Benjamin

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jan 25, 1999
257 A.D.2d 660 (N.Y. App. Div. 1999)
Case details for

People v. Benjamin

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ADAM BENJAMIN…

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

Date published: Jan 25, 1999

Citations

257 A.D.2d 660 (N.Y. App. Div. 1999)
685 N.Y.S.2d 92

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