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Matter of Nicholas

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jul 22, 1985
112 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1985)

Opinion

July 22, 1985

Appeal from the Family Court, Suffolk County (Auperin, J.).


Fact-finding determination and order of disposition affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

Appellant failed to raise objections in the trial court to the errors asserted on appeal, and, therefore, failed to preserve those errors for appellate review ( see, People v. Thomas, 50 N.Y.2d 467). We further note that the trial court's failure to advise defense counsel before summation that it would consider lesser included offenses does not warrant reversal in the interest of justice because the record indicates that counsel acknowledged that the prosecutor may have made out a prima facie case as to the lesser included offenses, but argued that the prosecution's witnesses were not sufficiently credible to sustain findings that appellant committed the lesser offenses. In fact, counsel vigorously attacked the credibility of those witnesses in his summation ( see, People v. Wachs, 93 A.D.2d 846).

Furthermore, the trial court did not commit error in reserving decision for one week after the trial. This delay was reasonable in light of the circumstances of the case ( see, People v. South, 41 N.Y.2d 451, 454). Moreover, no prejudice to appellant was demonstrated as a result of this brief delay ( cf. People v O'Brien, 86 Misc.2d 139).

Finally, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the essential elements of the crimes of sexual abuse in the third degree were established beyond a reasonable doubt and there is no reason to reverse the fact-finding determination in the interest of justice ( see, People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621). Lazer, J.P., Gibbons, Bracken and Niehoff, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Matter of Nicholas

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jul 22, 1985
112 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1985)
Case details for

Matter of Nicholas

Case Details

Full title:In the Matter of NICHOLAS R.M., JR., Appellant

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

Date published: Jul 22, 1985

Citations

112 A.D.2d 371 (N.Y. App. Div. 1985)

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