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People v. Reynolds

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 4, 1988
139 A.D.2d 538 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)

Opinion

April 4, 1988

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Kramer, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is modified, on the law, by vacating the sentence imposed; as so modified, the judgment is affirmed, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Kings County, for resentencing; and it is further,

Ordered, that the sentence is reversed, on the law, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Kings County, for resentencing.

Upon the exercise of our factual review power we are satisfied that the verdict under indictment No. 6618/83 was not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15).

We also find that the trial court properly declined to give a missing witness charge based upon the failure of the People to call Nina Constantino as a witness. A missing witness charge is appropriate where it is shown that "the uncalled witness is knowledgeable about a material issue upon which evidence is already in the case; that the witness would naturally be expected to provide noncumulative testimony favorable to the party who has not called him, and that the witness is available to such party" (People v. Gonzalez, 68 N.Y.2d 424, 427). The defendant did not make such a showing here. The People's comments during summation were appropriate in view of defense counsel's summation remarks (see, People v. Singleton, 121 A.D.2d 752, 753, lv denied 68 N.Y.2d 918).

The People concede that the defendant was improperly sentenced for both crimes as a second violent felony offender, although his sole prior conviction was not for a violent felony offense. While the sentences are authorized upon conviction as a second felony offender, the People concede that the matters should be remitted to the Supreme Court, Kings County, for resentencing (see, People v. Modica, 64 N.Y.2d 828, 829). Thompson, J.P., Weinstein, Rubin and Harwood, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Reynolds

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Apr 4, 1988
139 A.D.2d 538 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)
Case details for

People v. Reynolds

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. MICHAEL REYNOLDS…

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

Date published: Apr 4, 1988

Citations

139 A.D.2d 538 (N.Y. App. Div. 1988)