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People v. Martinez

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 16, 1987
134 A.D.2d 458 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

Opinion

November 16, 1987

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Queens County (Linakis, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The evidence, when viewed in a light most favorable to the People, was legally sufficient to support the defendant's conviction (see, People v. Malizia, 62 N.Y.2d 755, cert denied 469 U.S. 932; People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620). Moreover, upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the defendant's guilt was established beyond a reasonable doubt and that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence (CPL 470.15).

The defendant's contention that attempted murder in the first degree is a nonexistent crime and that his convictions of that offense must be reduced to attempted murder in the second degree is without merit (see, People v. Silva, 69 N.Y.2d 858, 859-860).

We find that the trial court properly denied the defendant's request to instruct the jury that attempted assault in the second degree (Penal Law § 120.05) is a lesser included offense of attempted murder in the first degree and attempted murder in the second degree. Penal Law § 120.05 (2) reads,

"A person is guilty of assault in the second degree when * * *

"2. [w]ith intent to cause physical injury to another person, he causes such injury to such person or to a third person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument".

The element of "a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument" is not an element of attempted murder in the first degree or attempted murder in the second degree and, therefore, it is possible to commit the greater crimes without concomitantly, by the same conduct, committing this lesser offense (see, People v. Glover, 57 N.Y.2d 61, 63).

The defendant has failed to properly preserve for appellate review his claims of prosecutorial misconduct by failing to raise an objection or request further curative instructions during trial (see, People v. Medina, 53 N.Y.2d 951; People v. Jalah, 107 A.D.2d 762). In any event, the prosecutor's comments did not deny the defendant a fair trial in light of the overwhelming evidence of his guilt (see, People v. Wood, 66 N.Y.2d 374).

The defendant's claim that his sentence is excessive is without merit (see, People v. Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80, 85).

We have considered the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be either unpreserved for appellate review or without merit. Niehoff, J.P., Weinstein, Eiber and Harwood, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Martinez

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Nov 16, 1987
134 A.D.2d 458 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)
Case details for

People v. Martinez

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. TITO MARTINEZ…

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

Date published: Nov 16, 1987

Citations

134 A.D.2d 458 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

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