People v. Cruz

304 A.D.2d 418, 757 N.Y.S.2d 432, 2003 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4190

Opinion

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Arlene Silverman, J.), rendered December 7, 2000, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of robbery in the first degree, and sentencing him, as a second violent felony offender, to a term of 14 years, unanimously affirmed.

The court’s Sandoval ruling balanced the appropriate factors and was a proper exercise of discretion (see People v Hayes, 97 NY2d 203 [2002]; People v Walker, 83 NY2d 455, 458-459 [1994]). Defendant’s prior convictions were highly probative with regard to his credibility, and the court minimized any prejudice by directing that defendant’s prior first-degree robbery conviction be elicited only as an unspecified felony.

The prosecutor was properly permitted to inquire into defendant’s parole status and a prior theft allegation against him, since defendant opened the door to such questioning (see People v Mendez, 221 AD2d 162 [1995], lv denied 87 NY2d 923 [1996]; People v Cain, 207 AD2d 720 [1994] , lv denied 84 NY2d 933 [1994]). Concur — Mazzarelli, J.P., Andrias, Friedman, Mar-low and Gonzalez, JJ.