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People v. Spencer

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.
Jan 31, 2017
146 A.D.3d 731 (N.Y. App. Div. 2017)

Summary

determining probable cause existed where an experienced narcotics officer observed a known drug dealer exchange an unidentified object for money in a drug-prone location

Summary of this case from State v. McLeod

Opinion

01-31-2017

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Rodney SPENCER, Defendant–Appellant.

Robert S. Dean, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (Arielle Reid of counsel), for appellant. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Frank Glaser of counsel), for respondent.


Robert S. Dean, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (Arielle Reid of counsel), for appellant.

Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Frank Glaser of counsel), for respondent.

FRIEDMAN, J.P., RENWICK, SAXE, GISCHE, JJ.

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Jill Konviser, J., at suppression hearing; Michael Sonberg, at plea and sentencing), rendered June 23, 2015, convicting defendant, upon his plea of guilty, of tampering with physical evidence, and sentencing him, as a second felony offender, to a term of 1 ½ to 3 years, unanimously affirmed.

The court properly denied defendant's motion to suppress physical evidence, identification testimony and one of his statements to the police. An officer with extensive experience in narcotics arrests observed defendant, a known drug dealer, conduct a hand-to-hand exchange of an unidentified object in exchange for currency in a drug–prone location. The officer had also learned from an officer in an observation post that defendant had met with the buyer in a nearby park and directed the buyer to the parking garage where the sale was consummated. Based on the officer's training and experience, he recognized the overall pattern of behavior as characteristic of a drug transaction, regardless of whether the object was specifically recognizable as drugs or drug packaging (see People v. Jones, 90 N.Y.2d 835, 837, 660 N.Y.S.2d 549, 683 N.E.2d 14 [1997] ; People v. Selby, 82 A.D.3d 433, 434, 917 N.Y.S.2d 861 [1st Dept.2011], lv. denied 17 N.Y.3d 801, 929 N.Y.S.2d 109, 952 N.E.2d 1104 [2011] ).

Additionally, there is no basis for disturbing the credibility determinations of the hearing court, which are supported by the record (see People v. Prochilo, 41 N.Y.2d 759, 761, 395 N.Y.S.2d 635, 363 N.E.2d 1380 [1977] ).


Summaries of

People v. Spencer

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.
Jan 31, 2017
146 A.D.3d 731 (N.Y. App. Div. 2017)

determining probable cause existed where an experienced narcotics officer observed a known drug dealer exchange an unidentified object for money in a drug-prone location

Summary of this case from State v. McLeod
Case details for

People v. Spencer

Case Details

Full title:The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Rodney SPENCER…

Court:Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

Date published: Jan 31, 2017

Citations

146 A.D.3d 731 (N.Y. App. Div. 2017)
46 N.Y.S.3d 74
2017 N.Y. Slip Op. 609

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