People v. Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Ass'n

196 Misc. 604, 94 N.Y.S.2d 296, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3080
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedSeptember 28, 1949
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 196 Misc. 604 (People v. Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Ass'n) 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. Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Ass'n, 196 Misc. 604, 94 N.Y.S.2d 296, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3080 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1949).

Opinion

Goldstein, J.

This is an application for an order directing the Attorney-General to file with the clerk of this court, a copy of the written recommendations submitted by him on or about May 13, 1949, pertaining to the dismissal of various counts in the indictment against the defendants, Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Association, Inc., Joseph Valentino, Frank Valentino and Raphael L. Arra.

The indictment in this matter charges twenty-eight individual defendants and five corporations with violations of sections 340 and 341 of the General Business Law pertaining to monopolies and restraint of trade. In addition to these charges the defendants Joseph Valentino, Frank Valentino and Raphael L. Arra are charged with the crime of extortion.

All of the defendants named in the indictment were duly arraigned and each defendant entered a plea of “ not guilty.” Thereafter, the defendants named in the indictment other than the defendants Robert Vaecarino, Thomas B. Spano, Frank Valentino, Norman Hantman, James Gamello and Albert Alt-mark, made application to this court for an order for leave to withdraw their former pleas of “ not guilty,” and be allowed to enter a demurrer to the indictment and for an order dismissing the indictment.

The court disallowed the demurrer as to each defendant making. the application. Pursuant to the provisions of section 330 of the Code of Criminal Procedure the court directed each of the defendants as against whom the demurrer had been disallowed to appear before the court on May 11,1949, for arraignment, for the purpose of entering a plea to the indictment.

On May 11, 1949, the defendants Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Association, Inc., Joseph Valentino and Raphael L. Arra appeared before the court for arraignment. Although not required to appear because he had not demurred to the indictment, the defendant Frank Valentino also appeared in court with his attorney.

The defendant Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Association, Inc., pleaded guilty ” to count 1 of the indictment charging a violation of sections 340 and 341 of the General Business Law — a misdemeanor — and pleaded. “ not guilty” as to counts 2, 16 and 17. Its attorney then made a motion to dismiss these counts in which motion the assistant attorney-general joined.

The defendant Joseph Valentino pleaded “ guilty ” to counts 1, 16 and 17, and . Ms attorney then made a motion to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment for.wMch he was indicted, in which motion the assistant attorney-general concurred.

[607]*607The defendant Frank Valentino pleaded guilty ” to count 1 of the indictment and his attorney made a motion to dismiss the remaining counts for which he was indicted, in which motion the assistant attorney-general • concurred. On May 18, 1949, the defendant Frank Valentino again appeared before the court with his attorney and pleaded guilty to count 2 of the indictment.

The defendant Raphael L. Arra pleaded “ guilty ” to counts 1, 16 and 17, and his attorney made a motion to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment for which he was indicted, in which motion the assistant attorney-general concurred.

• Thus, after a long and exhaustive investigation by the Attorney-General, which resulted in the handing up of this indictment consisting of forty-four pages and containing seventeen counts against twenty-eight individuals and five corporations, and after various motions had been made by the defendants in this case, the court had before it defendants who were ready to plead guilty to some of the counts in this indictment and moving to dismiss the remaining counts against them, in which motion the Attorney-General concurred.

In order to guide the court in its action upon the recommendations of the Attorney-General, the court requested him to state his reasons. Those reasons were thereafter and on May 17, 1949, submitted to the court in writing. They consisted of the opinion of the Attorney-General on the facts as he then knew them.

Before the court decided the motions to dismiss the indictment, the defendant Vaccarino went to trial and was found guilty on a number of counts in the indictment. Certain of the defendants who have been sentenced on their plea of guilty, which was taken in open court and under circumstances clearly indicating no promise whatsoever on the part of this court as to its future action on those pleas, now ask that a copy of the recommendations submitted by the Attorney-General to the court be filed with the court for the purpose of inclusion in the judgment roll.

I find no authority or warrant in the Code of Criminal Procedure for the disclosure of reasons submitted by the Attorney-General in connection with the application which was rejected by this court. Insofar as the recommendations were accepted and certain counts of the indictment were dismissed as to certain of the defendants, the statement required by section 671 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was duly filed by this court. That statement went even further in setting forth reasons for the denial of the application and the rejection of the recommendations in other respects.

[608]*608The defendants making this application state that section 342-a of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires that the recommendations submitted by the Attorney-General be filed with the papers in the case and become a public record subject to inspection.

Section 342-a of the Code of Criminal Procedure has no application in this case. That section refers to cases where the court upon recommendation of the District Attorney accepts a plea of guilty to a crime or offense of a lesser degree or for which a lesser punishment is prescribed than the crime or offense charged. In such case it shall be the duty of the District Attorney to submit to the court a statement in writing, in which his reasons for recommending the acceptance of such plea shall be clearly set forth and such statement shall be filed with the other papers in the case and shall be a public record subject to inspection by any person.

The court in this case, did not act under the power conferred upon it pursuant to the provisions of section 342-a of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In this case, the court acted under the power conferred upon it pursuant to the provisions of section 671 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which deals with the dismissal of an indictment.

The powers and duties conferred upon the court under each section are separate and distinct and have no relation whatsoever with each other. It is true, however, that under both sections of the code, a written statement must be filed. However, under section 671 of the Code of Criminal Procedure it is the court itself that is required to make and file the written statement, whereas, under section 342-a of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it is the District Attorney who is required to make the written statement and file same with the court.

In this case the defendants have pleaded guilty to certain counts in the indictment as charged. No lesser plea was accepted by the court. Nor can it be stated by any stretch of the imagination that the pleas ” herein were in the nature of a lesser plea or understood to be so.

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Related

People v. Brooklyn Plastering Contractors Ass'n
276 A.D.2d 1029 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1950)
People v. Valentino
276 A.D.2d 1030 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1950)

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Bluebook (online)
196 Misc. 604, 94 N.Y.S.2d 296, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3080, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-brooklyn-plastering-contractors-assn-nycountyct-1949.