From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

People v. Scogna

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
May 31, 1991
173 A.D.2d 874 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)

Opinion

May 31, 1991

Appeal from the County Court, Westchester County (West, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant contends that the People failed to disprove the defense of agency beyond a reasonable doubt. We disagree. The defendant's initiation of the first drug transaction, his salesmanlike behavior, the long acquaintance between the defendant and his supplier, the absence of any prior relationship between the defendant and the undercover officer, and the defendant's independent desire to promote the transactions to support his own drug addiction, were all factors sufficient for the jury to reject the agency defense (see, People v Roche, 45 N.Y.2d 78, cert denied 439 U.S. 958; People v Bethea, 73 A.D.2d 920).

Moreover, resolution of issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, are primarily questions to be determined by the jury, which saw and heard the witnesses (see, People v Gaimari, 176 N.Y. 84, 94). Its determination should be accorded great weight on appeal and should not be disturbed unless clearly unsupported by the record (see, People v Garafolo, 44 A.D.2d 86, 88). Upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence (CPL 470.15).

The defendant's remaining contentions, including those raised in his supplemental pro se brief, are either without merit or unpreserved for appellate review, and we decline to consider the latter in the exercise of our interest of justice jurisdiction. Brown, J.P., Sullivan, Lawrence and Ritter, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. Scogna

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
May 31, 1991
173 A.D.2d 874 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
Case details for

People v. Scogna

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. PAUL SCOGNA, Appellant

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

Date published: May 31, 1991

Citations

173 A.D.2d 874 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
571 N.Y.S.2d 79

Citing Cases

People v. Ricks

The defendant contends that the People failed to disprove the defense of agency beyond a reasonable doubt. We…