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People v. Magee

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jan 12, 1987
126 A.D.2d 573 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

Opinion

January 12, 1987

Appeal from the County Court, Suffolk County (Weissman, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

Contrary to the defendant's contentions, viewing the evidence most favorably to the People and bearing in mind that issues concerning credibility and the weight of the evidence are to be determined by the jury, we find that the evidence adduced at trial was of sufficient quantity and quality to support the verdict (see, People v. Malizia, 62 N.Y.2d 755, cert denied 469 U.S. 932; People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620).

We also find no merit to the defendant's contention that the trial court abused its discretion in ruling that the People could inquire as to the defendant's past convictions including petit larceny, criminal mischief in the fourth degree and resisting arrest (see, People v. Pavao, 59 N.Y.2d 282, 292; People v. Capone, 114 A.D.2d 373; People v. Walters, 116 A.D.2d 757). These crimes are clearly probative as to the issue of the defendant's credibility. Moreover, as we have noted previously, inquiry into the underlying facts of charges dismissed in satisfaction of a defendant's plea of guilty to other charges is permissible (People v. Capone, supra).

We note that although the defendant has an extensive criminal history, the trial court restricted the prosecutor's questioning to those prior acts which demonstrated the defendant's furtherance of his own self-interest at the expense of society and bore on the issue of his credibility (see, People v. Pavao, supra; People v. Sito, 114 A.D.2d 1049). Thompson, J.P., Niehoff, Kunzeman and Sullivan, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Magee

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jan 12, 1987
126 A.D.2d 573 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)
Case details for

People v. Magee

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. GARY MAGEE, Appellant

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

Date published: Jan 12, 1987

Citations

126 A.D.2d 573 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

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