From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. Johnson

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Dec 13, 1979
48 N.Y.2d 925 (N.Y. 1979)

Opinion

Argued November 16, 1979

Decided December 13, 1979

Appeal from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Third Judicial Department, STEPHEN SMYK, J.

James M. Barber for appellant.

Patrick D. Monserrate, District Attorney (Joseph P. Pessolaro and Gary L. Sharpe of counsel), for respondent.


MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.

The circumstances of defendant's flight from and apprehension by the police investigating the burglary charge supported the inference that he had possessed the drugs found sandwiched between his wallet and notebook under a couch cushion at the scene of the arrest. Thus, proof of the burglary "would be material and admissible as evidence in chief upon a trial of" the possession count (CPL 200.20, subd 2, par [b]). We cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to sever these intimately connected crimes for trial (cf. People v Munger, 24 N.Y.2d 445, 449).

Chief Judge COOKE and Judges JASEN, GABRIELLI, JONES, WACHTLER, FUCHSBERG and MEYER concur.

Order affirmed in a memorandum.


Summaries of

People v. Johnson

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Dec 13, 1979
48 N.Y.2d 925 (N.Y. 1979)
Case details for

People v. Johnson

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. JAMES RICHARD JOHNSON…

Court:Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Date published: Dec 13, 1979

Citations

48 N.Y.2d 925 (N.Y. 1979)
425 N.Y.S.2d 55
401 N.E.2d 178

Citing Cases

People v. Sullivan

The defendant failed to demonstrate "the absence of strategic or other legitimate explanations for counsel's…

People v. Smith

Judgment unanimously modified, on the law, and, as modified, affirmed, in accordance with the following…