Cardova v. Lavalley

123 F. Supp. 3d 387, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109625, 2015 WL 4931351
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedAugust 17, 2015
DocketNo. 13-cv-1976 (WFK)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 123 F. Supp. 3d 387 (Cardova v. Lavalley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cardova v. Lavalley, 123 F. Supp. 3d 387, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109625, 2015 WL 4931351 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION & ORDER

WILLIAM F. KUNTZ, II, District Judge. -

Before the Court is a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 by Petitioner George Cardova, a.k.a. Hector Pina (“Petitioner”). Petitioner seeks federal habeas relief based on five grounds: (1) Petitioner’s due process rights were violated when the Supreme Court of Queens County, New York re-' fused to suppress evidence of suggestive show-up identification, (2) Petitioner’s due process right to a fair trial was violated by the prosecutor’s conduct during summation, (3) Petitioner’s sentence as a persistent violent felony offender violated his due process rights and was harsh and excessive (4) ineffective assistance of trial counsel, and (5) ineffective assistance of appéllate counsel. For the reasons .discussed below, the petition for the writ of habeas corpus is DENIED in its entirety.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On November 26, 2006, Petitioner unlawfully entered the home of Miguel Sim-bana with the intent to commit a crime therein (“Incident One”). . Dkt.,8, Affirmation in Opposition to Petition for a-Writ of Habeas Corpus (“Affirmation”) at 2. On September 7, 2007, Petitioner, acting in concert with co-defendant Carlos Dajer, entered a home located at 61-42 172nd St., Flushing, New York, by knocking the screen from the window and bending the screen (“Incident Two”). Id. Minutes after fleeing, Petitioner and Mr. Dajer were stopped by police as they were about to enter a car about four blocks from the scene of the crime. Id. Police recovered a pair of black gloves from each of their back pockets. Id. at 2-3. Police also recovered two ski masks, two crow bars, two walkie-talkies, and a police scanner from the trunk of the car. Id. at 3. Melissa Chan, a -neighbor who observed Petitioner jump from the window and' who saw Mr. Dajer run across the lawn, positively identified them as the two people she had seen fleeing the scene. Id. at 2.

[392]*392Based on the foregoing, - Petitioner was charged with Burglary in the Second Degree under New York Penal Law (“NYPL”) § 140.25[2], Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree under • NYPL § 155.30[1], Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree under NYPL § 145.00[1], and Possession of Burglars Tools under NYPL § 140.35 for Incident One. Id. at 3. For Incident Two, Petitioner was charged with Burglary in the Second Degree under NYPL § 140.25[1], Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree under NYPL § 145.00[1], Possession of Burglars Tools under NYPL § 140.35, and Unlawful Possession of a Radio Device under NYPL § 140.40. Id.

Following the denial of Petitioner’s motion to suppress the identification testimony as well as the property recovered upon his arrest from Incident Two, Petitioner proceeded to a jury trial for Incident Two before Justice Barry Kron, Supreme Court, Queens County. Id. At the conclusion of trial, Petitioner was convicted of Burglary in the Second Degree and Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree. Id. Petitioner was found not guilty on the remaining charges stemming from Incident Two'. Id. at n. 2. On May 13, 2009, Petitioner was sentenced as a persistent violent felony offender to concurrent prison terms of twenty three years to life and one year. Id. at 4.

On May 18, 2009, Petitioner pled guilty to Burglary in the Second Degree in full satisfaction of Incident One. Id. On May 28, 2009, Petitioner was sentenced to a prison term of twenty-three years to life on the charge arising out of Incident One, to run concurrently with his sentences arising out of Incident Two. Id.

In September 2010, Petitioner, represented by counsel, filed a direct appeal to the Appellate Division, Second Department (the “Appellate Division”) raising three claims: (1) the identification procedure was unduly suggestive, (2) the prosecution’s summation comments were unfair and deprived him of a fair trial, and (3) the persistent violent offender statute is unconstitutional because it allowed him to receive an enhanced sentence based upon facts not found by a jury, and that the sentence was harsh and excessive. Id. In June 2011, Petitioner, pro se, filed a supplemental brief arguing that he was denied effective assistance of trial counsel because trial counsel failed to obtain Petitioner’s cell phone records, failed to argue that the police lacked sufficient cause to stop and arrest Petitioner or to re-open the Wade hearing1 based upon evidence adduced at trial, and failed to move to re-open the Mapp hearing2. Id. at 5.

In an opinion dated October 25, 2011, the Appellate Division modified Petitioner’s sentence by reducing the concurrent indeterminate terms of imprisonment for the Burglary in the Second Degree charges for both Incident One and Two from twenty-three years to life to eighteen years to life. Id.; see also People v. Cardova, 88 A.D.3d 1008, 931 N.Y.S.2d 375 (2d Dep’t 2011). As so modified, the judgment [393]*393was then affirmed. Id. In the unanimous decision, the Appellate Division held “[t]he [Petitioner’s] - contention that the showup identification procedure was unduly suggestive is without merit[.]” Cardova, 88 A.D.3d at 1008, 981 N.Y.S.2d 375 (citations omitted). The Appellate Division also found Petitioner’s “contention that he was deprived of a fair trial by certain remarks made by the prosecutor during summation is unpreserved for appellate review, as the [Petitioner] either failed to object to the comments or made only general objections, and did not request further curative instructions or move for a mistrial. In any event, the challenged remarks were fair comment on the evidence, permissible rhetorical comment, or responsive to defense counsel’s summation.” Id. at 1009, 931 N.Y.S.2d 375 (internal citations omitted). Furthermore, the Appellate Division held Petitioner “failed to preserve for appellate review his argument that the persistent violent felony offender sentencing scheme ... violates the principles articulated by the United States Supreme Court[J In any event, the argument is without merit.” Id. (internal citations omitted). Lastly, the Appellate Division found “[t]he contention raised in the [Petitioner’s] pro se supplemental brief, that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel, is without merit[.]” Id. (internal citations omitted) (emphasis added). Petitioner thereafter sought leave to appeal the Appellate Division’s decision to the New York Court of Appeals. Affirmation at 6. Leave was denied on January 10, 2012. Id.; see also People v. Cardova, 18 N.Y.3d 882, 939 N.Y.S.2d 752, 963 N.E.2d 129 (2012).

On May 15, 2012, Petitioner, pro se, submitted a petition for writ of error co-ram nobis arguing he was denied effective assistance of appellate counsel because appellate counsel did not argue that Petitioner was denied effective assistance of trial counsel for trial counsel’s (1) failure to object to the admission of the 911 tape as a prior inconsistent statement, (2) failure to object to the trial court’s alleged violation of the dictates of Criminal Procedure Law (“CPL”) § 270.15[1], and (3) failure to move for a trial order of dismissal based upon the alleged insufficiency of the evidence.’ Affirmation at 6.

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Bluebook (online)
123 F. Supp. 3d 387, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 109625, 2015 WL 4931351, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cardova-v-lavalley-nyed-2015.