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People v. Saunders

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Dec 22, 1994
210 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)

Opinion

December 22, 1994

Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Richard Lowe, III, J.).


The court properly permitted the prosecutor to introduce evidence of defendant's prior acts of domestic violence against the complainant, including his threats to kill her and his arrests for violating numerous orders of protection, as proof of defendant's intent to commit the crimes charged, including attempted murder and burglary (see, People v Dunston, 159 A.D.2d 387, lv denied 76 N.Y.2d 734). Defendant's complaint that the court failed to provide limiting instructions regarding this evidence is unpreserved (CPL 470.05).

The court properly refused defendant's request to submit attempted assault in the third degree as a lesser included offense of attempted murder because there was no reasonable view of the evidence that defendant merely intended to cause physical injury, as opposed to "serious" physical injury, when he attempted to stab the complainant with scissors (People v Green, 56 N.Y.2d 427). Although the court's definition of attempt in its final charge to the jury and in its supplemental instructions diluted the People's burden of proof by requiring only that the People prove that defendant's conduct constituted a "substantial" step toward the accomplishment of the crime (cf., People v Acosta, 80 N.Y.2d 665), where commission of the crime was dangerously real, defendant's argument is unpreserved since he failed to object to these charges and we decline to reach it in the interest of justice (CPL 470.05).

The court properly denied defendant's CPL 440.10 motion on the ground that defendant's Rosario claim was unpreserved. At trial, defendant neither requested the handwritten notes of Officer Ryan, nor did he request a sanction for the People's failure to turn over those notes (see, People v Branch, 195 A.D.2d 474).

Concur — Sullivan, J.P., Wallach, Kupferman, Asch and Tom, JJ.


Summaries of

People v. Saunders

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Dec 22, 1994
210 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)
Case details for

People v. Saunders

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. MICHAEL SAUNDERS…

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

Date published: Dec 22, 1994

Citations

210 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1994)
620 N.Y.S.2d 356

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