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People v. Alexander

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jun 12, 1990
162 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)

Opinion

June 12, 1990

Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Jay Gold, J.).


The evidence at trial, viewed most favorably to the People (People v. Guiliano, 65 N.Y.2d 766, 768), was legally sufficient to support the jury's verdict. The jury permissibly inferred, based on evidence, not unsupported assumptions, that defendant and his accomplice took jewelry valued at $99,000 from complainant's office and left an envelope containing costume jewelry in its stead (People v. Kennedy, 47 N.Y.2d 196, 203).

Defendant's contention that he received ineffective assistance of counsel fails because he has not demonstrated that his attorney's performance was so deficient and his actions so unreasonable that they fell outside the scope of professional competence (Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668; People v Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137). Nor has defendant shown that he was prejudiced by counsel's performance. There is no reasonable probability that, but for counsel's alleged errors, the outcome of the trial would be different (People v. Simpson, 116 A.D.2d 65, 67).

The remaining contention, that the identification testimony should have been excluded as unreliable and the product of highly suggestive photographic showup procedures, is not preserved as a matter of law and we decline to reach it (CPL 470.05). Were we to consider this contention in the interest of justice, we would nonetheless affirm, finding it to be without merit. Defendant contends that the viewing of a single photograph shown to each complainant by the security officer of the Diamond Dealers Club months before the lineup rendered the subsequent lineup and in-court identifications unreliable. However, only identification procedures linked to official law enforcement conduct provide the basis for the suppression of identification testimony (United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218; People v. Logan, 25 N.Y.2d 184, 193). Procedures employed by private individuals, as here, provide no basis for suppression (People v. Grate, 130 A.D.2d 590). No connection was established between the Diamond Dealers Club and the police investigation. Furthermore, each complainant established an independent source for the lineup and in-court identification (People v. Satchell, 116 A.D.2d 753, lv denied 67 N.Y.2d 889).

Concur — Murphy, P.J., Sullivan, Ross, Kassal and Smith, JJ.


Summaries of

People v. Alexander

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jun 12, 1990
162 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
Case details for

People v. Alexander

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. SASHA ALEXANDER…

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

Date published: Jun 12, 1990

Citations

162 A.D.2d 164 (N.Y. App. Div. 1990)
556 N.Y.S.2d 576

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