Opinion
2011-09-30
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,v.James R. STANFORD, Defendant–Appellant.
Timothy P. Donaher, Public Defender, Rochester (Kimberly F. Duguay of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant.Michael C. Green, District Attorney, Rochester (Geoffrey Kaeuper of Counsel), for Respondent.
Timothy P. Donaher, Public Defender, Rochester (Kimberly F. Duguay of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant.Michael C. Green, District Attorney, Rochester (Geoffrey Kaeuper of Counsel), for Respondent.
MEMORANDUM:
Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of manslaughter in the first degree (Penal Law § 125.20[1] ). We reject defendant's contention that County Court erred in refusing to charge manslaughter in the second degree (§ 125.15[1] ) as an additional lesser included offense of murder in the second degree (§ 125.25 [1] [intentional murder] ) as charged in the indictment. It is well settled that, “[t]o establish entitlement to a lesser included offense charge, the defendant must make two showings. First, it must be shown that ... in all circumstances, not only in those presented in the particular case, it is impossible to commit the greater crime without concomitantly, by the same conduct, committing the lesser offense. That established, the defendant must then show that there is a reasonable view of the evidence in the particular case that would support a finding that he committed the lesser offense but not the greater” ( People v. Glover, 57 N.Y.2d 61, 63, 453 N.Y.S.2d 660, 439 N.E.2d 376). Although we agree with defendant that manslaughter in the second degree may be a lesser included offense of intentional murder ( see People v. Brockett, 74 A.D.3d 1218, 1219–1220, 904 N.Y.S.2d 172; People v. Boyd, 60 A.D.3d 779, 780, 874 N.Y.S.2d 261, lv. denied 12 N.Y.3d 913, 884 N.Y.S.2d 694, 912 N.E.2d 1075; see generally People v. Sullivan, 68 N.Y.2d 495, 501, 510 N.Y.S.2d 518, 503 N.E.2d 74), we conclude that there was no reasonable view of the evidence that would permit the jury to find that defendant committed manslaughter in the second degree but did not commit manslaughter in the first degree or intentional murder. The latter two crimes require evidence that defendant acted intentionally, whereas manslaughter in the second degree requires evidence that he acted recklessly. Defendant gave several statements to the police in which he admitted that he stabbed the victim so that she would release her grip on him. The evidence also established that the victim was stabbed four times in the neck and that one of the wounds was several inches deep and had severed her major blood vessels. “ Thus, by admitting intentional conduct, defendant negated any theory of recklessness ... Furthermore, the number, depth, and placement of the victim's stab wounds were completely inconsistent with reckless rather than intentional conduct” ( People v. Sussman, 298 A.D.2d 205, 205, 748 N.Y.S.2d 552, lv. denied 99 N.Y.2d 585, 755 N.Y.S.2d 721, 785 N.E.2d 743; cf. People v. Castellano, 41 A.D.3d 184, 185, 837 N.Y.S.2d 643, affd. 11 N.Y.3d 850, 872 N.Y.S.2d 64, 900 N.E.2d 545, rearg. denied 12 N.Y.3d 771).
The court also properly denied defendant's request for a jury charge on the justifiable use of deadly physical force to prevent or terminate a burglary ( see Penal Law § 35.20[3] ). Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to defendant ( see People v. McManus, 67 N.Y.2d 541, 549, 505 N.Y.S.2d 43, 496 N.E.2d 202; People v. Watts, 57 N.Y.2d 299, 301, 456 N.Y.S.2d 677, 442 N.E.2d 1188), we conclude that there was no reasonable view of the evidence that would permit a jury to conclude that defendant reasonably believed that deadly physical force was necessary to prevent or terminate a burglary ( see People v. Petronio, 34 A.D.3d 602, 603–604, 825 N.Y.S.2d 99, lv. denied 8 N.Y.3d 948, 836 N.Y.S.2d 559, 868 N.E.2d 242; People v. McDaniel, 295 A.D.2d 371, 743 N.Y.S.2d 532, lv. denied 98 N.Y.2d 770, 752 N.Y.S.2d 10, 781 N.E.2d 922; cf. People v. Deis, 97 N.Y.2d 717, 719–720, 740 N.Y.S.2d 284, 766 N.E.2d 946; People v. Fagan, 24 A.D.3d 1185, 1186–1187, 807 N.Y.S.2d 239).
In addition, the court properly denied defendant's request for a circumstantial evidence charge. It is well established
that, where the charges against defendant are supported by both circumstantial and direct evidence, the court is not required to provide the circumstantial evidence charge ( see People v. Daddona, 81 N.Y.2d 990, 992, 599 N.Y.S.2d 530, 615 N.E.2d 1014). Here, inasmuch as defendant's statements to the police “constituted direct evidence of several of the principal facts [at] issue” ( People v. Campbell, 69 A.D.3d 645, 646, 893 N.Y.S.2d 168), the court properly denied his request for that charge ( see People v. Alexander, 153 A.D.2d 507, 509, 544 N.Y.S.2d 595, affd. 75 N.Y.2d 979, 556 N.Y.S.2d 508, 555 N.E.2d 905; People v. Buskey, 13 A.D.3d 1058, 787 N.Y.S.2d 796; see generally People v. Rumble, 45 N.Y.2d 879, 880–881, 410 N.Y.S.2d 806, 383 N.E.2d 108).
Finally, the sentence is not unduly harsh or severe.
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.