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People v. Betancourt

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Jul 3, 1986
68 N.Y.2d 707 (N.Y. 1986)

Opinion

Decided July 3, 1986

Appeal from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Second Judicial Department, Philip J. Chetta, J.

Stephanie T. Knowles and Philip L. Weinstein for appellant.

John J. Santucci, District Attorney (John Castellano of counsel), for respondent.


MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.

The Appellate Division applied the correct standard for appellate review of the legal sufficiency of a wholly circumstantial evidence case. The evidence adduced at trial must be viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, giving it the benefit of every reasonable inference to be drawn therefrom, and the court reviewing the jury verdict must "determine whether the jury reasonably concluded" that the defendant's guilt was proven to a moral certainty (People v Marin, 65 N.Y.2d 741, 742; People v Giuliano, 65 N.Y.2d 766, 768). Moreover, we agree with the Appellate Division that the circumstantial evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict of guilty of burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the fourth degree (see, People v Bay, 67 N.Y.2d 787; People v Levine, 65 N.Y.2d 845).

Chief Judge WACHTLER and Judges MEYER, SIMONS, KAYE, ALEXANDER, TITONE and HANCOCK, JR., concur.

On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.4 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals (22 N.Y.CRR 500.4), order affirmed in a memorandum.


Summaries of

People v. Betancourt

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Jul 3, 1986
68 N.Y.2d 707 (N.Y. 1986)
Case details for

People v. Betancourt

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. JORGE BETANCOURT…

Court:Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Date published: Jul 3, 1986

Citations

68 N.Y.2d 707 (N.Y. 1986)
506 N.Y.S.2d 310
497 N.E.2d 677

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