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People v. Morales

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Apr 1, 1997
238 A.D.2d 124 (N.Y. App. Div. 1997)

Opinion

April 1, 1997


Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Gerald Sheindlin, J.), rendered April 28, 1995, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of rape in the first degree and two counts of sodomy in the first degree, and sentencing him, as a second violent felony offender, to concurrent terms of 12 1/2 to 25 years, 10 to 20 years, and 10 to 20 years, respectively, unanimously affirmed.

The verdict was based on legally sufficient evidence and was not against the weight of the evidence ( People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490). Issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, were properly presented to the jury and we see no reason to disturb its findings ( People v Gaimari, 176 N.Y. 84, 94). A complainant's perjury on a collateral matter does not render his or her material testimony incredible as a matter of law ( People v. Franklin, 188 A.D.2d 366, lv denied 81 N.Y.2d 839), and in this case, the complainant gave credible explanations for her admitted falsehoods ( People v Bristol, 187 A.D.2d 403, lv denied 81 N.Y.2d 785).

Defendant's contention that the court's Sandoval ruling deprived him of a fair trial has not been preserved for appellate review as a matter of law (CPL 470.05; People v. Richiez, 173 A.D.2d 234, lv denied 78 N.Y.2d 925) and we decline to review it in the interest of justice. Were we to review, we would find that the ruling constituted a proper exercise of discretion.

Defendant's challenge to the sufficiency of the court's charge to the jury with respect to the complainant's perjury before the Grand Jury has not been preserved for appellate review as a matter of law (CPL 470.05; People v. Autry, 75 N.Y.2d 836), and we decline to review it in the interest of justice. Were we to review it, we would find that the charge, when viewed as a whole, properly instructed the jury on the applicable legal principles ( People v. Andujas, 79 N.Y.2d 113; People v. Bristol, 187 A.D.2d 403, supra).

Concur — Milonas, J.P., Wallach, Nardelli and Tom, JJ.


Summaries of

People v. Morales

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Apr 1, 1997
238 A.D.2d 124 (N.Y. App. Div. 1997)
Case details for

People v. Morales

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ROBERTO MORALES…

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

Date published: Apr 1, 1997

Citations

238 A.D.2d 124 (N.Y. App. Div. 1997)
655 N.Y.S.2d 765

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