Opinion
April 14, 1994
Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Thomas Galligan, J.).
Defendant was arrested after having participated in the sale of two vials of crack to an undercover officer. Moments later, defendant and the co-defendant were arrested by the backup team, and both identifications were confirmed by the undercover officer during a drive by identification. Buy money and fifty-six vials of crack were recovered from co-defendant; neither contraband nor buy money was recovered from defendant. Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the People, and giving due deference to the jury's findings on credibility (People v Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495), defendant's guilt was proved beyond a reasonable doubt by overwhelming evidence, and the verdict was not against the weight of that evidence.
There was no error in the court's summary denial of defendant's post-judgment motion. Evidence adduced on the face of the record indicated either that trial counsel had pursued investigations into defendant's putative alibi, but that the information thereby acquired either was inconsistent with or not material to the alibi, or that further investigation would not have supported defendant's alibi. Defendant failed to meet the burden of establishing that he was denied meaningful representation (People v Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137, 147). Additionally, defendant has failed to demonstrate a reasonable probability that the verdict would have been different but for the claimed errors (People v Melendez, 174 A.D.2d 479, 481, lv denied 79 N.Y.2d 861). Under the circumstances of this case "counsel's subjective reasons for his choice of * * * strategy * * * were immaterial. Viewed objectively, the transcript and the submissions reveal the existence of a trial strategy that might well have been pursued by a reasonably competent attorney." (People v Satterfield, 66 N.Y.2d 796, 799.) Accordingly, there is no basis to remand for purposes of an evidentiary hearing.
Concur — Sullivan, J.P., Ellerin, Ross, Asch and Tom, JJ.