Opinion
4868/11
03-21-2017
3462 The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Lamont Gray, Defendant-Appellant.
Seymour W. James, Jr., The Legal Aid Society, New York (Mitchell J. Briskey of counsel), for appellant. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Luis Morales of counsel), for respondent.
Seymour W. James, Jr., The Legal Aid Society, New York (Mitchell J. Briskey of counsel), for appellant.
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Luis Morales of counsel), for respondent.
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Larry R.C. Stephen, J. at suppression hearing; Robert M. Stolz, J. at plea and sentencing), rendered June 12, 2013, convicting defendant of two counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and sentencing him to a term of six months, with five years' probation and a $2500 fine, unanimously affirmed.
The court properly denied defendant's suppression motion. Defendant made the statements at issue while he was detained during a traffic stop. While defendant may have been seized for Fourth Amendment purposes, he was not in custody for Miranda purposes (see Berkemer v McCarty , 468 US 420, 436-437 [1984]; People v Bennett , 70 NY2d 891 [1987]), and none of the police conduct at the time of the investigatory questioning can "fairly be characterized as the functional equivalent of formal arrest" (Berkemer , 468 US at 442); accordingly, Miranda warnings were not required.
THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.
ENTERED: MARCH 21, 2017
CLERK