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People v. Vaccaro

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Jun 6, 1978
44 N.Y.2d 885 (N.Y. 1978)

Opinion

Submitted April 24, 1978

Decided June 6, 1978

Appeal from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Second Judicial Department, DANIEL F. McMAHON, J.

Arthur F.X. Henriksen and Otto F. Fusco for appellant.

Carl A. Vergari, District Attorney (Joseph Aviv of counsel), for respondent.


MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.

Although the elements of criminal possession of a weapon in the second and fourth degrees (Penal Law, § 265.03, 265.01) are identical in those circumstances where the culpable act is possession of a loaded firearm, the overlapping of elements does not render the statutes unconstitutional. (People v Eboli, 34 N.Y.2d 281.) Since by statutory definition criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree is a lesser included offense of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (CPL 1.20, subd 37), the court correctly dismissed the charge of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree because there was no "reasonable view of the evidence which would support a finding that the defendant committed such lesser offense but did not commit the greater." (CPL 300.50, subd 1.)

Chief Judge BREITEL and Judges JASEN, GABRIELLI, JONES, WACHTLER, FUCHSBERG and COOKE concur.

Order affirmed in a memorandum.


Summaries of

People v. Vaccaro

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Jun 6, 1978
44 N.Y.2d 885 (N.Y. 1978)
Case details for

People v. Vaccaro

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. RONALD VACCARO…

Court:Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Date published: Jun 6, 1978

Citations

44 N.Y.2d 885 (N.Y. 1978)
407 N.Y.S.2d 631
379 N.E.2d 159

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