Opinion
11-24-2015
The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Jose ROJAS, Defendant–Appellant.
Richard M. Greenberg, Office of the Appellate Defender, New York (Joseph M. Nursey of counsel), for appellant. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Susan Gliner of counsel), for respondent.
Richard M. Greenberg, Office of the Appellate Defender, New York (Joseph M. Nursey of counsel), for appellant.
Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Susan Gliner of counsel), for respondent.
TOM, J.P., ACOSTA, SAXE, MOSKOWITZ, FEINMAN, JJ.
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Ronald A. Zweibel, J.), rendered March 16, 2012, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of assault in the first degree, and sentencing him to a term of 15 years, unanimously affirmed.
Since defendant's claim under People v. O'Rama, 78 N.Y.2d 270, 574 N.Y.S.2d 159, 579 N.E.2d 189 (1991) involves jury notes that the court read into the record before responding, thereby providing counsel with notice of their contents, defendant's claim requires preservation (see People v. Nealon, 26 N.Y.3d 152, 20 N.Y.S.3d 315, 41 N.E.3d 1130 [2015] ; People v. Williams, 21 N.Y.3d 932, 934–935, 969 N.Y.S.2d 421, 991 N.E.2d 195 [2013] ), and we decline to review this unpreserved claim in the interest of justice.The prosecutor's summation argument suggesting a possible motive for defendant's otherwise senseless attack on the victim does not warrant reversal (see generally People v. Overlee, 236 A.D.2d 133, 666 N.Y.S.2d 572 [1st Dept.1997], lv. denied 91 N.Y.2d 976, 672 N.Y.S.2d 855, 695 N.E.2d 724 [1992] ; People v. D'Alessandro, 184 A.D.2d 114, 118–119, 591 N.Y.S.2d 1001 [1st Dept.1998], lv. denied 81 N.Y.2d 884, 597 N.Y.S.2d 945, 613 N.E.2d 977 [1993] ). It was permissible for the prosecutor to draw a reasonable, evidence-based inference that defendant, while in an intoxicated state, may have mistaken the victim for another woman who had been connected to a prior altercation.
The court did not err in allowing the deliberating jury to view a surveillance video, already in evidence, on a laptop computer supplied by the prosecutor. Under the circumstances, this was the functional equivalent of providing a DVD player for use in the jury room, and there is nothing to indicate that the use of a computer resulted in any prejudice.
Defendant did not preserve his challenge to the procedure by which the court adjudicated the second of his two applications under Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 [1986], and we decline to review it in the interest of justice. As an alternative holding, we find no basis for reversal.