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People v. Williams

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 24, 1986
117 A.D.2d 830 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

Opinion

February 24, 1986

Appeal from the County Court, Suffolk County (Mallon, J.).


Judgment affirmed.

The defendant's claim that his arrest and the search of the automobile in which he was a passenger were violative of his constitutional protections against unlawful searches and seizures is without merit.

In addition to the defendant's failure to establish at the hearing the requisite standing to challenge the search complained of (see, People v. Cofresi, 60 N.Y.2d 728, 730), we find that the actions of the arresting officer were justified by well-settled principles of decisional law. Radio transmissions alerted the arresting officer that two black males were seen exiting a suspicious-looking vehicle in the immediate vicinity of a residence at which a burglary was reported to be in progress. When the defendant was spotted hiding behind a bush in the yard of the specified residence, and then observed running to a nearby vehicle after peering out to see if the coast was clear, the officer had probable cause to arrest him (see, People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d 210, 223). Furthermore, the defendant's present contention that probable cause was not demonstrated because the People failed to establish the reliability of the information transmitted by the sender is also without merit. Because the defendant never specifically challenged the reliability of the transmission at Criminal Term, the People were under no obligation to produce the "sending" officer at the hearing (see, People v. Dodt, 61 N.Y.2d 408, 416; People v. Jenkins, 47 N.Y.2d 722; People v. Makedon, 108 A.D.2d 826).

Under these facts, after the arresting officer noticed the defendant quickly conceal an object under the front passenger seat, he was justified in reaching under the front seat to search for what was placed there (see, People v. Pitt, 110 A.D.2d 723, 724, cert denied ___ US ___, 106 S Ct 254), and the evidence subsequently taken from the defendant's person and the interior of the car was validly seized as incident to an arrest based on probable cause (see, People v. Belton, 55 N.Y.2d 49, 54-55; People v. Arminio, 104 A.D.2d 995).

The prosecutorial misconduct complained of does not warrant reversal of the conviction (see, People v. Bailey, 58 N.Y.2d 272; People v. Galloway, 54 N.Y.2d 396).

We have examined the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be either unpreserved or without merit. Lazer, J.P., Mangano, Bracken and Niehoff, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Williams

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 24, 1986
117 A.D.2d 830 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)
Case details for

People v. Williams

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. JOSEPH WILLIAMS…

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

Date published: Feb 24, 1986

Citations

117 A.D.2d 830 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

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