People v. Bunford

107 Misc. 2d 622, 436 N.Y.S.2d 127, 1981 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2072
CourtBuffalo City Court
DecidedJanuary 12, 1981
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 107 Misc. 2d 622 (People v. Bunford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Buffalo City Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Bunford, 107 Misc. 2d 622, 436 N.Y.S.2d 127, 1981 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2072 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1981).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Timothy J. Drury, J.

The defendants have moved to suppress a video cassette and city license certificate allegedly confiscated on their premises on the grounds the search warrant involved was invalid in that it was based on illegally obtained information. The defendants also challenge the search warrant [623]*623contending that there was no prior judicial review of the video cassette before its seizure, that the search warrant was overbroad on its face, and that the defendant Bunford was not given adequate notice as the police entered to execute the search warrant as required by law. The defendants also argue that the charges against both of them should be dismissed because the informations are defective as a matter of law. These issues gave rise to a hearing, and testimony and argument was heard on September 22, 26, 30 and October 7, 1980. The court has heard the testimony, and also heard the argument of Herbert L. Greenman, Esq., of counsel to the defendants, and the argument of Timothy R Harvey, Esq., Assistant District Attorney, of counsel to Edward C. Cosgrove, District Attorney of the County of Erie, and the court has read the moving papers and the memorandum of Mr. Greenman, and has read the memoranda of Mr. Harvey and now, based on these and upon all the related papers and upon all prior proceedings, and with due deliberations having been had thereon, the court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

For two and a half years prior to May 15, 1980, Officer John Dugan, the one-man salicious literature squad of the Buffalo Police Department, had visited the Genesee Theater located at 1600 Genesee Street, Buffalo, and run by Kenneth Bunford once or even three times a week in the course of his duties. Sometime in February of this year Bunford converted the Genesee Theater to “The New 1600 Genesee Street Club, Inc.”, and began putting out applications in the theatre for his patrons, and started telling Dugan he was no longer welcome in the theatre. The applications said that law enforcement officers or Judges were excluded from membership. Signs went up near the ticket window saying members only, and a buzzer system was installed in the front door. Pictures were no longer shown on film but projected by video tape on a large seven-foot screen and on two smaller televisions in the theatre.

Between the changeover and May 15, Dugan entered undeterred except for one or possibly two run-ins with Bunford when he was told in no uncertain terms to leave and to stay out. The help however buzzed Dugan in just [624]*624the same. He never paid to come in. But Dugan noticed a change. When he walked into the theatre now the screen would be blank or there would be one or another of two B-grade movies playing, much to the consternation of the audience. The customers said the movie had gone off or were told it was “because the cop was here”. Dugan would stay and the customers would leave. The projectionist said he had orders to change the movie when Dugan appeared. Dugan became suspicious.

He enlisted the activity of his partner Officer Peacock, a man unknown to Bunford. Dugan briefed Peacock on his suspicions, gave him enough money to pay for a ticket into the show, and supplied him with a membership card that he had gained on 1 of his 15 or so visits to “The New 1600 Genesee Street Club, Inc.” to show in case it was needed. On May 15 Peacock was buzzed in, was never asked to show any membership card, duly noticed the members only signs, and went in and watched the movie in question without benefit of any stoppage. He returned to his police station and made out an affidavit describing the picture he saw, which became the basis for the search warrant for the film and the charges against Bunford and The New 1600 Genesee Street Club, Inc. The reason an affidavit was necessary was that Judge John A. Ramunno, the City Judge on duty that month, refused to use a membership card and a false name to go in and view the movie. He said it was unseemly.

The search warrant was duly signed by Judge Ramunno with Officer Dugan as the affiant based on the affidavit of Officer Peacock who was not present at the time in Judge Ramunno’s chambers. Dugan then promptly executed the search warrant. He met Bunford at the theatre and told him what he had come for. They then both went to the projection room, where Dugan recovered the film in question, “The Analist”.

Bunford claims that this was a genuinely private club and that Dugan had trespassed to gain his information and that Peacock’s observations were tainted as a result of his own trespass and the trespasses of Dugan who sent him in. Dugan on the other hand said he acted in good faith and properly so because the show was in fact opened [625]*625to the public at large, was still licensed as a public theatre, and that the city lawyers said he had a right to watch the film in the performance of his duties.

This court finds that there was nothing to distinguish a “member” from anyone else that came in off the street, except that a member must not be a police officer, his agent or a Judge. The corporation, except for some pious future plans, was Bunford in effect, and his job was simply to show movies. In a word, the club was a sham, and Dugan was particularly unpopular because he stood to expose whatever it was that made the projectionist change the film whenever Dugan appeared. Is the owner or his corporation immune from prosecution because the owner has ordered a particularly bullheaded police officer from the premises and he persisted in coming back, or sending his friends? I think not. The New 1600 Genesee Street Club, Inc., both before and after the changeover was a public place and Dugan had as much right to be there as anyone else. Bunford took exception to him because he was hurting his profits and threatening to expose his operation and not because of his personality. The fact that Dugan did not pay is not relevant here because this was really not the reason Bunford wanted him to stay out. The only harassment that Bunford suffered was due to his own fear of police and nothing more.

But lest there be any doubt, if it was not for Dugan’s entries there would have been no visit by Officer Peacock. It was the information that Dugan gained from his earlier visits that led him to ask Peacock to see the show. However, even if Dugan’s visits could be said to be illegal, this court finds that Peacock’s observations were far too removed and attenuated to be tainted by Dugan’s actions. Peacock was admitted to the theatre without any sort of subterfuge. The ticket taker even apologized for not seeing him promptly and buzzing him in immediately. Peacock never had to use the membership card that Dugan provided him with. He offered his money and it was accepted. He went in like any other member of the public and this is a further indication of the essentially public nature of these premises.

[626]*626This court cannot reasonably attribute the various warnings and directions Bunford gave to Dugan, and the different prohibitions on the membership application, and the exclusions contained on the signs on the walls in the lobby, to Peacock when he entered after paying his $4. Dugan’s different visits to the premises certainly lead to discoveries that resulted in Peacock’s entry, but they did not taint it. (See People v Dentine, 21 NY2d 700, cert den 393 US 967.)

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Related

People v. Koch Theatre Enterprises, Inc.
114 Misc. 2d 266 (Buffalo City Court, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 Misc. 2d 622, 436 N.Y.S.2d 127, 1981 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2072, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-bunford-nybuffalocityct-1981.