People v. Beal

57 A.D.2d 306, 394 N.Y.S.2d 705, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10961
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMay 16, 1977
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 57 A.D.2d 306 (People v. Beal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Beal, 57 A.D.2d 306, 394 N.Y.S.2d 705, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10961 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinions

O’Connor, J.

The primary question presented on this appeal is whether Criminal Term’s refusal to adjourn the suppression hearing in order to allow the defense an opportunity to obtain a copy of the Grand Jury testimony of the lone witness, and to require that witness to produce a UF-61 report, constituted reversible error. Under the circumstances of this case such refusal, although error, had, at best, a minimal impact on the determination made at the suppression hearing; the absence of any real prejudice to defendant’s rights leads to a conclusion that the judgment of conviction should be affirmed.

On May 9, 1973 an indictment was filed charging the defendant with the crime of possession of weapons and dangerous instruments and appliances, as a felony. Patrolman [308]*308Albert Farrell was the only witness at the suppression hearing conducted on June 14, 1973. He testified that on March 24, 1973, at approximately 5:00 a.m., he received a radio message alerting him to a "man with a gun, at South Conduit and Farmers, in a gas station, see Mr. Brown.” Farrell, who as a police officer had patrolled the area for nine years, knew that a "Mr. Brown” owned or operated a gas station at North and not South Conduit. Parenthetically, it should be noted that North and South Conduit are merely the contiguous service roads of the Belt Parkway and that North Conduit and Farmers are directly across the boulevard from South Conduit and Farmers. Secure in this knowledge, Farrell proceeded immediately to North Conduit and Farmers, taking less than two minutes to reach his destination. He was there informed by Brown that a Black male had attempted to gain entry into Brown’s closed station on the pretense of purchasing cigarettes. Brown refused to unlock his'door to this unwelcome intruder, who threateningly displayed a black revolver. At that point Brown levelled a shotgun at his persistent visitor, who suddenly lost all craving for nicotine and fled across the parkway toward South Conduit and Farmers Boulevard. Brown described his visitor as a Black male, 22 to 25 years of age, approximately five feet and nine inches tall, and wearing a black leather jacket. Incidentally, the conversation between Farrell and Brown lasted for less than one minute.

Farrell likewise crossed the parkway to the gas station located at the opposite corner of South Conduit and Farmers; there he saw a patrol car and observed its occupants conversing with a station attendant. Except for the patrolmen and the station attendants, the only other person in the immediate vicinity was a Black male, standing to the rear of the patrol car, who closely fit the description obtained from Brown but a few minutes before. Farrell’s partner drew his gun and Farrell approached the suspect from the rear with his hand on his gun. Without a word, Farrell frisked the suspect and felt two lumps, one in his right rear pocket and another under his belt. He removed a .38 caliber revolver from under the belt and a knife from the pocket. Defendant was then arrested.

Defense counsel, with the goal of conducting a thorough cross-examination of Farrell, requested Farrell’s Grand Jury testimony and his UF-61 report. The Grand Jury minutes, however, were in the process of being transcribed and Farrell had failed to bring the UF-61. Criminal Term refused defense [309]*309counsel’s request for an adjournment to obtain the missing documents and the hearing proceeded. On cross-examination defense counsel made extensive and effective use of Farrell’s preliminary hearing testimony, his memo book, and his arrest report. For instance, defense counsel made excellent use of the hearing minutes as he sought to impeach Farrell’s credibility on the subject of the frisk. Although Farrell claimed that he initially frisked defendant, the following appeared in the preliminary hearing minutes:

"Q. And then what did you do?
"A. I immediately tossed him.
"Q. Immediately searched him?
"A. From behind.”

Defense counsel fully explored the meaning of the word "tossed” and vainly sought a concession from Farrell that he had in fact subjected defendant to more than a frisk. Farrell however insisted that the terms "tossed” and "frisked” were synonymous.

Upon the conclusion of the hearing the motion to suppress was denied. Defendant subsequently entered a guilty plea to the crime of attempted possession of weapons, etc., as a felony, admitting in the process that the gun had been discovered as the result of a "police officer feeling your body.”

Defendant now urges that the failure to provide him with the Grand Jury minutes and the UF-61 report during the cross-examination of Farrell was reversible error. Clearly it was error, and no valid reason existed to refuse to adjourn the suppression hearing in order to allow the defense an opportunity to obtain the requested materials. As was stated in People v Rosario (9 NY2d 286, 289): "a right sense of justice entitles the defense to examine a witness’ prior statement, whether or not it varies from his testimony on the stand.” Justice is never to be sacrificed upon the altar of speed under any circumstances. Yet this truism does not terminate the inquiry but rather initiates it, for as this court recently noted in People v Pinion (56 AD2d 664), the right to Rosario materials is "bottomed upon 'policy considerations’ and 'a right sense of justice’ (People v Rosario, 9 NY2d 286, 289) * * * [such rights] have in no way been predicated upon 'a fundamental constitutional right’ to such material.” Here the requested materials were not withheld as a result of the prosecution’s bad faith, but simply because of a transcription problem and a [310]*310clerical lapse by Officer Farrell. The threshold question, therefore, is whether any reasonable reading of the missing items provides a basis for concluding that the defendant was unduly prejudiced.

The record is barren of any facts indicating that the UF-61 report would have helped the defense’s cross-examination of Farrell; it is to be noted that Farrell’s memo book and the relevant arrest record were produced and that extensive cross-examination ensued thereon.

Let us now consider the failure of the People to produce the Grand Jury minutes, which clearly recite that Farrell testified that he proceeded to South Conduit upon receiving the radio message and that he failed to mention that he first went to North Conduit. This was consistent with his preliminary hearing testimony, wherein he testified that after receiving the radio message he proceeded to South Conduit. Despite a vigorous cross-examination, Farrell steadfastly maintained that he simply failed to say that he ñrst stopped at North Conduit. As already noted, his explanation for going to North Conduit first was because he knew that Brown was located there. Two thoughts are here pertinent: (1) in this context, the Grand Jury minutes clearly would have been but cumulative in effect; and (2) it is equally clear that Farrell’s testimony is not at all inconsistent or contradictory, but at most failed to fully set forth the entire chronological order of events. The possible effect of this kind of testimony upon the trier of the facts is highly doubtful, to say the least.

Farrell also testified before the Grand Jury that when he approached the defendant he removed a loaded revolver from the defendant’s waistband.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 A.D.2d 306, 394 N.Y.S.2d 705, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10961, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-beal-nyappdiv-1977.