People v. Allen

146 Misc. 2d 701, 550 N.Y.S.2d 997, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 32
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedJanuary 12, 1990
StatusPublished

This text of 146 Misc. 2d 701 (People v. Allen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Allen, 146 Misc. 2d 701, 550 N.Y.S.2d 997, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 32 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

W. Patrick Falvey, J.

The court herein is faced with an issue, unique due to its factual situation.

[702]*702The defendant, William Horton Allen, and his codefendant were indicted for two counts of murder in the second degree, both class A-l felonies, in violation of section 125.25 (1) and (3) of the Penal Law; two counts of robbery in the first degree, both class B violent felonies, in violation of section 160.15 (1) and (2) of the Penal Law; one count of criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, a class B violent felony, in violation of section 265.09 (1) of the Penal Law and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a class C violent felony, in violation of section 265.03 of the Penal Law all allegedly committed in Seneca County, New York, on November 6,1986.

The court ordered, after argument of pretrial motions, hearings to test the presence of probable cause for defendant’s arrest, the legality of the search incident thereto, need for suppression of certain evidence obtained from the search and the defendant’s compliance with the agreement on detainers (CPL 580.20).

A pretrial suppression hearing was conducted before me on November 30, 1989. Counsel were each given 10 days in which to file any legal memoranda in support of their respective positions. This decision addresses the issues of the defendant’s arrest and the subsequent seizure of physical evidence. The remaining issues concerning CPL 30.20 and 580.20 are reserved pending receipt of additional submissions.

I

PROBABLE CAUSE AND SUPPRESSION OF EVIDENCE

The court herein is presented with a unique situation in that it must determine the validity of an extraterritorial arrest by Georgia authorities for a Georgia murder charge and the use of certain items seized as a result of that arrest as evidence in the trial of this New York indictment.

The prosecutor in Fourth Amendment questions has the burden of going forward with the legitimacy of police action (People v Malinsky, 15 NY2d 86, 91) but the defendant has the over-all burden of suppression. (People v Alberti, 111 AD2d 860.) Here the People presented three witnesses and the defendant called no witnesses and offered no evidence.

I give full credence to the testimony of the People’s witnesses and make the following findings of facts:

The facts are that the defendant and his codefendant are [703]*703accused of committing the murder of a female convenience store clerk in Seneca County, New York, on November 6, 1986. It is important to note that no felony complaint was ever filed against the defendant in the New York case. Furthermore, no indictment was returned or filed against the defendant for the New York charges until June 30, 1987. A bench warrant was issued for defendant Allen’s arrest by the Seneca County Court simultaneously with the filing of said indictment, and the defendant was not arraigned on the New York charges until July 7, 1989, 10 days after his initial return from the State of Georgia on June 27,1989.

Defendant Allen and the codefendant were initially arrested, by the Sylvania Police Department in Sylvania, Georgia, on November 8, 1986. The arrest resulted from a teletype alert referred to in Georgia as a "BOLO” ("be on the look out for”) dated November 8, 1986 emanating earlier from the Glynn County, Georgia, police indicating the existence of a warrant for the defendant’s arrest for an alleged murder and armed robbery occurring in Glynn County on October 19, 1986. The "BOLO” contained a description of the defendant as well as his female companion, their car and license plate number. However the arresting officer had no knowledge of the source of the information contained therein. Properly authenticated copies of the arrest warrant issued on November 7, 1986 at approximately 11:30 p.m. by Michael Sapp, Magistrate of the Magistrate Court of Glynn County, were received into evidence as exhibit 2. Neither defendant Allen nor his codefendant were arrested on November 8, 1986 for the New York crimes.

Jack Boyet, detective sergeant of the Glynn County Police, testified that he personally applied under oath to the Magistrate for the defendant’s arrest warrant. He indicated the basis of his application was information received from Seneca County authorities together with ballistic matches of the bullets from the victims of the Seneca County, New York, and Glynn County, Georgia, murders as well as his personal knowledge of the investigation of the Glynn County murder. A warrant for defendant Allen’s arrest was issued and the defendants’ names were entered into the police computer advising the area that a warrant was in effect.

Mark Tretheway, Assistant Chief of Police of Sylvania, Georgia, testified that based on his conversations with the Glynn County dispatcher and a hard copy of the "BOLO” he alerted his officers to set up a surveillance, at a nearby [704]*704shopping center, to look for the described defendants traveling in a 1974 Buick Century, beige in color with dark top, bearing Missouri license plate No. KJF-454. Tretheway had no personal knowledge of the information on which the arrest warrant was based.

He was soon advised that the defendant was sighted at the shopping center. Since the "BOLO” indicated the defendant might be armed and dangerous, as he kept a .38 revolver under the driver’s seat, the police wanted to surveil the defendant until he got into a less populated area before attempting to apprehend him.

Tretheway was advised that the defendant was on the move. A series of radio broadcasts coordinating the moving surveillance of the defendants ensued. Shortly thereafter, Chief Tretheway was advised that Detective Sergeant Snow had followed the defendant and the defendant’s vehicle had stopped.

Tretheway first observed that the defendant and car fit the "BOLO” description when he arrived at the scene of the stopped vehicles. The defendant’s car was parked on the curb and Detective Snow was behind it. He saw the defendant driver hunching forward behind the steering wheel. He then observed the defendant, after three commands to do so, exit the car in a crouched position and go to the ground. The defendant was very passive and made no extra movements. All officers at the scene had their weapons drawn. Tretheway assisted in placing the defendant under arrest, and advised him in his patrol vehicle that he had a warrant for the defendant’s arrest from Glynn County, Georgia.

Tretheway observed nothing nor did he search the defendant or his vehicle.

Prior to the defendant’s apprehension, Detective Snow of the Sylvania, Georgia Police Department received a call from Assistant Chief Tretheway advising him of the "BOLO” and requesting his assistance in the surveillance.

As Detective Snow proceeded to his surveillance position he observed the subject vehicle. As he passed by in his unmarked car, the defendant, who was driving, looked directly at Snow and Snow looked at the defendant. At that moment Snow observed the defendant leaning forward and to the left in the car making gestures to the floor. He also observed a female passenger in the right front passenger’s seat. The officer positioned himself in back of the defendant’s vehicle and followed it.

[705]*705The proof is that defendant was not breaking any vehicle and traffic law nor did he try to outrun the officer.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
146 Misc. 2d 701, 550 N.Y.S.2d 997, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-allen-nycountyct-1990.