Opinion
12-14-2016
The PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. Ramiek R. SMALLS, appellant.
Neal D. Futerfas, White Plains, N.Y., for appellant. Madeline Singas, District Attorney, Mineola, N.Y. (Daniel Bresnahan and Donald Berk of counsel), for respondent.
Neal D. Futerfas, White Plains, N.Y., for appellant.
Madeline Singas, District Attorney, Mineola, N.Y. (Daniel Bresnahan and Donald Berk of counsel), for respondent.
MARK C. DILLON, J.P., THOMAS A. DICKERSON, JOSEPH J. MALTESE, and COLLEEN D. DUFFY, JJ.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Nassau County (St.George, J.), rendered January 29, 2013, convicting him of murder in the second degree, assault in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.
The County Court's Molineux ruling (see People v. Molineux, 168 N.Y. 264, 61 N.E. 286 ) constituted a provident exercise of discretion. The evidence at issue was admissible as relevant background material to explain to the jury the sequence of events and the relationship between the defendant and the decedent, and as evidence of the defendant's motive and intent, and his consciousness of guilt (see People v. Jones, 21 N.Y.3d 449, 456, 971 N.Y.S.2d 740, 994 N.E.2d 831 ; People v. Paige, 134 A.D.3d 1048, 1056, 22 N.Y.S.3d 220 ; People v. Bruno, 127 A.D.3d 986, 986, 7 N.Y.S.3d 408 ; People v. Green, 92 A.D.3d 953, 954–956, 939 N.Y.S.2d 520 ; People v. Oliver, 19 A.D.3d 512, 512, 797 N.Y.S.2d 116 ; People v. Malik, 265 A.D.2d 577, 578, 697 N.Y.S.2d 156 ).
Contrary to the defendant's contention, reversal is not warranted due to the late disclosure of certain evidence, which the defendant claims constituted violations of People v. Rosario , 9 N.Y.2d 286, 213 N.Y.S.2d 448, 173 N.E.2d 881 and Brady v. Maryland ,373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215. The defendant failed to demonstrate that he suffered any prejudice from the delay in disclosure, as the material was available for use at trial upon its disclosure and was, in fact, used by the defendant (see People v. Jingzhi Li, 104 A.D.3d 704, 705, 960 N.Y.S.2d 215 ; People v. Myron, 28 A.D.3d 681, 683–684, 814 N.Y.S.2d 198 ).
Furthermore, contrary to the defendant's contention, any insufficiency in the People's CPL 710.30 notice in connection with his photo array identification did not require preclusion, since the defendant received a full hearing regarding the fairness of the photo array identification procedure (see People v. Kirkland, 89 N.Y.2d 903, 905, 653 N.Y.S.2d 256, 675 N.E.2d 1208 ; People v. Alcantara, 78 A.D.3d 721, 722, 910 N.Y.S.2d 509 ).
The County Court's imposition of a "lockdown" order does not warrant reversal, since concerns were raised regarding witness intimidation, and the order only affected the conditions of the defendant's confinement (see People v. Whitt, 304 A.D.2d 378, 378, 758 N.Y.S.2d 37 ).
Contrary to the defendant's contention, the imposition of consecutive sentences was not illegal, as the evidence established that the two victims were shot by separate bullets, and therefore, their deaths were the result of separate and distinct acts (see People v. McKnight, 16 N.Y.3d 43, 49, 917 N.Y.S.2d 594, 942 N.E.2d 1019 ; People v. Holmes, 92 A.D.3d 957, 957, 938 N.Y.S.2d 902 ; cf. People v. Jones, 41 A.D.3d 507, 509, 838 N.Y.S.2d 126 ).
The sentence imposed was not excessive (see People v. Suitte, 90 A.D.2d 80, 83, 455 N.Y.S.2d 675 ).
The defendant's contention that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel is without merit (see Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 ; People v. Caban, 5 N.Y.3d 143, 800 N.Y.S.2d 70, 833 N.E.2d 213 ; People v. Benevento, 91 N.Y.2d 708, 674 N.Y.S.2d 629, 697 N.E.2d 584 ; People v. Baldi, 54 N.Y.2d 137, 444 N.Y.S.2d 893, 429 N.E.2d 400 ).
The defendant's remaining contentions are unpreserved for appellate review and we decline to review them in the exercise of our interest of justice jurisdiction.