Opinion
05-10-2024
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Daniel C. CAIN, Defendant-Appellant.
THE LEGAL AID BUREAU OF BUFFALO, INC., BUFFALO (ROBERT L. KEMP OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT. JOHN J. FLYNN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BUFFALO (DANIEL J. PUNCH OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
Appeal from a judgment of the Erie County Court (Sheila A. DiTullio, J.), rendered January 28, 2021. The judgment convicted defendant, upon a jury verdict, of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the first degree.
THE LEGAL AID BUREAU OF BUFFALO, INC., BUFFALO (ROBERT L. KEMP OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.
JOHN J. FLYNN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BUFFALO (DANIEL J. PUNCH OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.
PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., LINDLEY, OGDEN, NOWAK, AND DELCONTE, JJ.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.
Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him, upon a jury verdict, of attempted murder in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 125.25 [1]) and assault in the first degree (§ 120.10 [1]). We affirm.
The evidence at trial established that defendant stabbed the victim—his brother—after accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him with the victim. On the night of the incident, the victim came over to the apartment where defendant and his girlfriend lived. Defendant had hidden knives around the apartment prior to the victim’s arrival and, after the victim arrived, defendant began arguing with his girlfriend about her alleged cheating and, when the victim tried to intervene, stabbed the victim multiple times. Thereafter, defendant, inter alia, prevented the victim from calling 911 and threatened to hurt himself when his girlfriend and another person present attempted to call 911, before finally calling 911 himself.
[1–3] Contrary to defendant’s contention, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932 [1983]), we conclude that the evidence is legally sufficient to disprove defendant’s justification defense beyond a reasonable doubt (see People v. Walker, 168 A.D.2d 983, 983, 564 N.Y.S.2d 929 [4th Dept. 1990], lv denied 77 N.Y.2d 883, 568 N.Y.S.2d 926, 571 N.E.2d 96 [1991]), and to establish that defendant had the requisite intent for each count (see People v. White, 202 A.D.3d 1481, 1482, 158 N.Y.S.3d 909 [4th Dept. 2022], lv denied 38 N.Y.3d 1036, 169 N.Y.S.3d 230, 189 N.E.3d 337 [2022]; see also People v. Madore, 145 A.D.3d 1440, 1440, 46 N.Y.S.3d 300 [4th Dept. 2016], lv denied 29 N.Y.3d 1034, 62 N.Y.S.3d 303, 84 N.E.3d 975 [2017]; see generally People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672 [1987]). Moreover, viewing the evidence in light of the elements of the crimes as charged to the jury (see People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 349, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1 [2007]), including the charge on the defense of justification, we conclude that the verdict is not against the weight of the evidence (see generally Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d at 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672; People v. Wolf, 16 A.D.3d 1167, 1168, 792 N.Y.S.2d 743 [4th Dept. 2005]).
[4] Further, we conclude that "[d]efendant’s challenge to [County Court’s] suppression ruling is academic because the statements that the court refused to sup- press were not introduced at trial" (People v. Nevins, 16 A.D.3d 1046, 1048, 791 N.Y.S.2d 771 [4th Dept. 2005], lv denied 4 N.Y.3d 889, 798 N.Y.S.2d 734, 831 N.E.2d 979 [2005], cert denied 548 U.S. 911, 126 S.Ct. 2938, 165 L.Ed.2d 963 [2006]).
Finally, defendant’s sentence is not unduly harsh or severe.