People v. Banner

5 Misc. 2d 355, 164 N.Y.S.2d 53, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3227
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedApril 2, 1957
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 5 Misc. 2d 355 (People v. Banner) 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. Banner, 5 Misc. 2d 355, 164 N.Y.S.2d 53, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3227 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1957).

Opinion

Frederick W. Loomis, J.

This is an appeal on behalf of each defendant from separate convictions of the offense of disorderly conduct in violation of section 722 of the Penal Law of the State of New York after pleas of guilty before Hon. Anthony He Angelo, Judge of the Oneonta City Court. Upon such pleas of guilty, each defendant was fined the sum of $10 and sentenced to the Otsego County jail for a period of six months. Such jail sentence was suspended and the defendant, in each case, was [357]*357placed on probation to the Otsego County Probation Department for a period of one year.

The affidavit of appeal in each case sets forth numerous grounds for the appeal from such convictions.

Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the affidavit of appeal, in each case, allege that the information is made upon information and belief and based upon a deposition, both of which set forth mere conclusions and that neither is sufficient to give the Oneonta City Court jurisdiction and further that the information does not properly apprise the defendant with what specific offense he is being charged. It appears from the minutes of the arraignment in each case that the defendant was properly advised of his rights and that each defendant entered a plea of ‘1 guilty ’ ’. The courts of this State have uniformly held that a plea of guilt is a waiver of any defect arising out of the complaint based on information and belief, so long as it contains sufficient allegations to constitute the crime or offense. (People v. Chambers, 189 Misc. 502; People ex rel. Travis v. Daniels, 182 Misc. 856; People v. Sly, 180 Misc. 96.)

The information in each case charged substantially that the defendant did commit the “ offense of disorderly conduct in violation of section 722 of the Penal law of the State of New York, in that he did, on said date, in Neahwa Park, a public park in said city, by his actions, in coming to Oneonta for a ‘ gang fight ’, cause a crowd to collect and disturb the quiet of the community in a manner whereby a breach of the peace may be occasioned.” The courts have held that the same precision with respect to informations is not required with respect to that class of minor offenses below the grade of misdemeanor, such as disorderly conduct, as might be required in more serious crimes. (People v. Hipple, 263 N. Y. 242; People v. Copit, 187 Misc. 744.) However, it appears to this court that the information in each of the cases at issue does contain all of the allegations required in any criminal charge. Each information properly informed the defendant of the particular section of the Penal Law it was alleged he had violated, and the date, place, time and manner in which he had violated it. In the opinion of this court, the informations do not set forth mere conclusions of law. Even if the informations could be said to be defective because they set forth only conclusions of law, this is such a defect as was waived by the defendant upon his plea of “ guilty.” (People v. Carter, 88 Hun 304; People v. Wiechers, 179 N. Y. 459; People ex rel. Schneider v. Hayes, 108 App. Div. 6; People ex rel. Dinsmore v. Keeper of Erie County Penitentiary, 125 App. Div. 137.)

[358]*358Paragraphs 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 19 and 20 of the affidavits on appeal all set forth the manner of the defendants’ apprehension and detention, and the method of questioning and treatment of the defendants while they were at the police station subsequent to the alleged commission of the offenses charged.

Our courts have consistently held that if the magistrate had jurisdiction of such matter and the defendant was physically before him, the manner in which the arrest was made is immaterial in determining the court’s jurisdiction. While an unlawful arrest is an invasion of a person’s constitutional rights, the law affords him protection by giving him an action for damages for unlawful arrest. (Matter of Rose v. McKean, 190 Misc. 982.) Again, it has been held that it is the general rule that it is no defense to a criminal prosecution that a defendant was illegally brought within the jurisdiction of the court. Particularly is this true where the court has jurisdiction to try and determine the charge. (People v. Eberspacher, 79 Hun 410; People v. Jeratino, 62 Misc. 587.) It appears that the offense of disorderly conduct, as charged in the information, in each case, is one which the Oneonta City Court has jurisdiction to try and determine. Under these circumstances, and the holdings above cited, the questions raised concerning the apprehension or detention of the defendants constitute no ground for a reversal of the judgment of conviction.

Paragraphs 5, 21 and 23 are all attempts by counsel for the appellants to go into the evidentiary facts surrounding the alleged offenses under consideration. It is claimed in such paragraphs that the defendants were not engaged in committing any breach of the peace, did not intend to engage in any such breach of the peace and that the evidence would fail to establish the commission of the offense charged. In view of the fact that there was no trial of the facts in the lower court, and since these convictions are all based upon pleas of “ guilty ”, a consideration of such evidentiary facts is not properly before this court on this appeal.

Paragraph 10 of the affidavit of appeal alleges that upon their arraignment the Judge of the Oneonta City Court asked the . defendants if they pleaded guilty or not guilty and told the defendants ‘ ‘ in words or substance that it would cost them a $10.00 fine if they pled guilty or if they pled not guilty they would have to put up $100.00 bail or go to jail.” I do not find that such allegations are supported by the minutes of the arraignments which have been filed in each case. If the allegations were correct, it might be said that the trial court acted improperly in that it would, of course, be erroneous for a Judge [359]*359to tell the defendant what his punishment would be before he had entered a plea and it would also be improper for a Judge to be attempting to coerce a defendant into pleading guilty by threatening him with having to put up bail or go to jail, if he pleads not guilty. I find no evidence of any such impropriety or coercion on the part of the Trial Judge in the instant case. In the cases of Willie R. Castle, Alton DeForest and John Ottoway, it appears that the court did fix bail in the amount of $100. However, in each of those cases, it was only after the defendant had pleaded 1 ‘ not guilty. ’ ’ After such plea the court quite properly fixed bail for the defendants’ appearance for trial and was quite properly prepared to commit the defendants to jail to await trial, if bail was not furnished. This is the required procedure in all cases. The Trial Judge has not only the legal right, but the legal duty, to hold a defendant for trial upon Ms plea of “ not guilty ” to a charge and should fix reasonable bail for his release from custody and for his appearance for trial. Certainly the small sum of $100 cannot be said to be excessive or unreasonable bail and the trial court fulfilled its duty and responsibility with the reasonable discretion with which it is required to act.

Paragraph 11 of the affidavit of appeal concerns six other defendants who pled “ not guilty ”. These defendants are not before this court and the disposition of their cases is not material to the determination of this appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
5 Misc. 2d 355, 164 N.Y.S.2d 53, 1957 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-banner-nycountyct-1957.