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People v. Ruiz

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jan 18, 1996
223 A.D.2d 418 (N.Y. App. Div. 1996)

Opinion

January 18, 1996

Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Murray Mogel, J.).


As the People concede, the court erred in declining to submit criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree as a lesser included offense of the criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree count. However, the error was harmless ( see, People v Jackson, 166 A.D.2d 356, lv denied 77 N.Y.2d 839). In its consideration of the sale count, it is clear the jury credited the undercover officer's testimony that defendant had passed a glassine envelope to his accomplice and received the sale proceeds. It would be irrational to find that the jury, in considering the possession count, would have credited defendant's claim that he had purchased the other two glassines for his personal use, entailing rejection of the same testimony of the undercover officer. The verdict itself implies that the error did not affect the result ( cf., People v Ribowsky, 77 N.Y.2d 284, 292).

We perceive no abuse of discretion in sentencing since defendant was adjudicated as a second felony offender and the minimum term for each count was 4 1/2 to 9 years (Penal Law § 70.06, [4]); the imposition of concurrent 5 to 10 year terms was not excessive.

Concur — Murphy, P.J., Sullivan, Kupferman, Ross and Williams, JJ.


Summaries of

People v. Ruiz

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, First Department
Jan 18, 1996
223 A.D.2d 418 (N.Y. App. Div. 1996)
Case details for

People v. Ruiz

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. DAVID RUIZ, Appellant

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

Date published: Jan 18, 1996

Citations

223 A.D.2d 418 (N.Y. App. Div. 1996)
636 N.Y.S.2d 770

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