Opinion
June 7, 1990
Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County, Luis Neco, J., Frederic Berman, J.
Defendant herein contends that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel in that the Trial Judge denied repeated applications of counsel to be relieved, as well as repeated requests of defendant to have other counsel assigned to represent him. We find defendant's claim meritless.
The Trial Judge conducted a proper inquiry into counsel's and defendant's requests for new assigned counsel (People v. Sides, 75 N.Y.2d 822) and thereafter concluded that such requests were not based upon "good cause" (see, People v. Medina, 44 N.Y.2d 199, 205-207). We agree.
Finally, "[t]he ultimate test * * * must surely be whether [counsel] has secured a beneficial sentence for his client [a]nd from the client's perspective at least, beneficial means lenient" (People v. De Shields, 115 Misc.2d 1038, 1043). Defendant received a sentence of 4 to 8 years, less than the maximum.
Concur — Ross, J.P., Asch, Kassal, Wallach and Rubin, JJ.