Opinion
2014-03-26
The PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. Jamel McCOY, appellant.
Judah Maltz, Kew Gardens, N.Y., for appellant. Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (John M. Castellano, Nicoletta J. Caferri, and Merri Turk Lasky of counsel), for respondent.
Judah Maltz, Kew Gardens, N.Y., for appellant. Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (John M. Castellano, Nicoletta J. Caferri, and Merri Turk Lasky of counsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Lewis, J.), rendered April 18, 2011, convicting him of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (four counts) and conspiracy in the fourth degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
ORDERED that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered.
For the reasons stated in connection with the appeal of a codefendant in People v. Thomas, 115 A.D.3d 995, 982 N.Y.S.2d 584, 2014 WL 1228102 [decided herewith], the judgment of conviction must be reversed, and a new trial ordered.
Since a new trial is being ordered, we note that the defendant's contention that the Supreme Court's closure of the courtroom during the testimony of an undercover officer deprived him of his right to a public trial is without merit ( see People v. Echevarria, 21 N.Y.3d 1, 19, 966 N.Y.S.2d 747, 989 N.E.2d 9,cert. denied sub nom. Johnson v. New York, ––– U.S. ––––, 134 S.Ct. 823, 187 L.Ed.2d 688;People v. Frost, 100 N.Y.2d 129, 137, 760 N.Y.S.2d 753, 790 N.E.2d 1182;People v. Ramos, 90 N.Y.2d 490, 494, 662 N.Y.S.2d 739, 685 N.E.2d 492,cert. denied sub nom. Ayala v. New York 522 U.S. 1002, 118 S.Ct. 574, 139 L.Ed.2d 413). Furthermore, the defendant's contention, raised in Point III of his main brief, is without merit. The defendant's remaining contentions are unpreserved for appellate review and, in any event, without merit. RIVERA, J.P., BALKIN, HINDS–RADIX and MALTESE, JJ., concur.