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People v. Alston

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 9, 2000
270 A.D.2d 281 (N.Y. App. Div. 2000)

Opinion

Submitted January 25, 2000

March 9, 2000

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Rios, J.), rendered August 18, 1998, convicting him of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Lynn W. L. Fahey, New York, N.Y. (Rachel Altstein of counsel), for appellant.

Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (John M. Castellano, Ellen C. Abbot, and Craig Stephen Brown of counsel), for respondent.

DAVID S. RITTER, J.P., MYRIAM J. ALTMAN, GABRIEL M. KRAUSMAN, LEO F. McGINITY, JJ.


DECISION ORDER

ORDERED that the judgment is reversed, on the law, the indictment is dismissed, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for the purpose of entering an order in its discretion pursuant to CPL 160.50.

There was insufficient evidence to support the defendant's conviction of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree based upon the possession of a dangerous instrument with intent to use it unlawfully against another (see, Penal Law § 265.01[2]). Since there was no evidence at trial that the pellet gun was loaded, fired, or capable of being fired, the defendant's conviction of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree must be reversed (see, Matter of Angel Q., 194 A.D.2d 793 ; People v. Seabrooks, 120 A.D.2d 691 ; People v. Stephens, 97 A.D.2d 523 ; People v. Bonefont, 84 A.D.2d 844 ; People v. Castaldo, 72 A.D.2d 568 ; cf., People v. Colavito, 126 A.D.2d 554, affd 70 N.Y.2d 966 ).

In light of our determination, we do not reach the defendant's remaining contentions.

RITTER, J.P., ALTMAN, KRAUSMAN, and McGINITY, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Alston

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Mar 9, 2000
270 A.D.2d 281 (N.Y. App. Div. 2000)
Case details for

People v. Alston

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. RAMAR ALSTON, appellant. (Ind. No…

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

Date published: Mar 9, 2000

Citations

270 A.D.2d 281 (N.Y. App. Div. 2000)
704 N.Y.S.2d 608

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