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People v. Scales

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jun 16, 1986
121 A.D.2d 578 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

Opinion

June 16, 1986

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


Judgment affirmed.

The critical issue in reviewing a trial court's marshaling of the evidence is to determine whether any deficiency in such marshaling denied the defendant a fair trial (People v Saunders, 64 N.Y.2d 665, 667). Here, the trial court specifically stated "if what I have stated does not agree with your recollection of the evidence, then you disregard it, and use your own recollection". The jury also had the testimony from both witnesses to the delicatessen robbery read back to them after they had begun their deliberations. Therefore, any alleged impropriety in the remark complained of did not deprive the defendant of a fair trial.

The trial court properly denied the defendant's motion to set aside the verdict on the basis of the allegations of one juror concerning the behavior of another juror during deliberations. It is clear that the defendant raises no issue of improper influence but rather seeks to impeach the verdict by questioning the jury's deliberative processes. Under the circumstances, it was a proper exercise of the court's discretion to deny the defendant's motion (see, People v. Smalls, 112 A.D.2d 173, 175; see also, People v Testa, 61 N.Y.2d 1008, 1009).

We do not find that the sentencing court acted improperly when it sentenced the defendant after receiving a presentence report which stated that the defendant refused to be interviewed.

The defendant's other arguments were not properly preserved for our review and we decline to exercise our interest of justice jurisdiction to reach them. Thompson, J.P., Bracken, Rubin and Eiber, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Scales

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Jun 16, 1986
121 A.D.2d 578 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)
Case details for

People v. Scales

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ANTHONY SCALES…

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

Date published: Jun 16, 1986

Citations

121 A.D.2d 578 (N.Y. App. Div. 1986)

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