People v. Di Stefano

45 A.D.2d 56, 356 N.Y.S.2d 316, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4753
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJune 11, 1974
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 45 A.D.2d 56 (People v. Di Stefano) 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. Di Stefano, 45 A.D.2d 56, 356 N.Y.S.2d 316, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4753 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinions

Tilzer, J.

Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him after trial (Schwartz, J. and a jury), of the crimes of conspiracy in the second degree (Penal Law, § 105.10) and attempted robbery in the second degree (Penal Law, §§ 110.00, 160.10) and sentencing him to concurrent indeterminate terms of imprisonment not to exceed three years.

The major issue on appeal concerns the propriety of the trial court’s denial of the pretrial motion to suppress certain evidence obtained by electronic eavesdropping. The relevant facts are not in dispute. In furtherance of “ an investigation into several organized crime figures who were operating in New York County ”, the District Attorney obtained an eavesdropping warrant permitting interception of conversations transmitted over telephones located in Jimmy’s Lounge in New York County (order dated Feb. 3, 1972). The original warrant was valid for a period of up to 30 days (CPL 700.10) and was thereafter renewed and extended. (CPL 700.40; orders dated March 8, 1972; April 7,1972; May 5,1972.) In compliance with the Criminal Procedure Law the orders and supporting affidavits specified the nature of the crimes under investigation as well as the names of the individuals whose communications were to be intercepted. (CPL 700.15, 700.20.) It is conceded that neither the defendant nor the crime of robbery was within the scope of the original eavesdropping warrant nor any of the amended orders with the exception of the warrant dated May 5,1972. -

On April 6, 1972, during the course of executing the eavesdropping warrant, the police officers intercepted a conversation between defendant and another person, who concededly was also not within the scope of the wiretap order. Although the electronic device was automatically activated whenever the telephone receiver was lifted, it appears that due to a machine malfunction the first portion of the April 6 conversation was not recorded.

At this point it is to be noted that the testimony indicated that the Assistant District Attorney in charge of the investigation in order “ to minimize the interception of communications not otherwise subject [to the eavesdropping warrant] ” (CPL [58]*58700.30, subd. 7), instructed the officers that (i)f the conversation of the parties, or the substance was not relevant, or not included in the order, they were to immediately discontinue the electronic surveillance ”. However, the officers were further instructed that if ‘ ‘ it was clear from the beginning of the conversation that the conversation involved a crime or was related to a crime * * * they were to record the conversations and * * * immediately report to [the Assistant District Attorney] that fact so that a suitable amendment could be made to the order.”

Returning how to the April 6 conversation, the officer who monitored such conversation testified with respect to the unrecorded portion of the telephone call that he heard the other party tell “ Peter DiStefano about a fellow that comes around picking up envelopes.” The defendant was “to clock” the movements of that messenger. At that point' in the conversa^ tion the officer realized that the machine was not operating and apparently believing that the conversation related to the plans for the commission of a robbery, acting in accordance with the instructions previously given by the Assistant District Attorney, turned on the machine, thereby recording the remainder of the conversation.

Although the record on appeal indicates that the Assistant District Attorney was provided with the daily logs of the monitored telephone conversations which he “ read .* * * every day ” the order renewing and amending the eavesdropping warrant dated April 7, 1972, did not contain any reference to the April 6 conversation. Nevertheless, on April 17, 1972, without having made any further application to amend, the officers again monitored several conversations between the defendant, and other persons not within the scope of the warrant. Those conversations further implicated defendant in a conspiracy to commit robbery and alerted the authorities as to the approximate time, as well as to the location of the planned crime. Acting upon that information several officers went to the. Hotel Commodore where they observed the defendant’s movements. However, after a period of time the defendant left the area. It appears that the robbery was aborted because of the messenger’s arrival at the hotel earlier than expected. Subsequently, another conversation was intercepted between the defendant and his girl friend in which defendant related certain of the events which occurred at the hotel.

On May 5, 1972, the District Attorney obtained a further order amending and renewing the eavesdropping warrant. [59]*59Although the daily plant reports (containing a brief abstract of each intercepted conversation) were submitted on that application, nevertheless, the affidavit did not contain any description or mention of the intercepted conversation of April 6 but referred solely to the conversations arid observations related to April 17,1972.

As indicated, the defendant prior to trial moved to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of the wiretapping. It was argued that the ‘ ‘ defendant was [not] within the [purview] of these wiretaps ”, and further, that GPL 700.65 (subd. 4) which permits the amendment of an eavesdropping warrant to include a “ communication which was not otherwise sought ”, was not complied with since the amendment had not been obtained “ as soon as practicable ’ ’. After a hearing the motion was denied.

As previously .stated, it is quite clear that the conversations which were overheard on April 6 and April 17, 1972, related to subject matter and were between persons not within the scope of the eavesdropping orders at the time such communications were intercepted. The contents of such communications and any evidence derived therefrom may be used while giving testimony in a criminal proceeding only upon compliance with GPL 700.65 (subd. 4). That provision states as follows: 1 ‘ When a law enforcement officer, while engaged in intercepting communications in the manner authorized by this article, intercepts a communication which was not otherwise sought and which constitutes evidence of any crime that has been, is being or is about to be committed, the contents of such communications, and evidence derived therefrom, may be disclosed or used as provided in subdivisions one and two. Such contents and any Evidence derived therefrom may be used under subdivision three when a justice amends the eavesdropping warrant to include such coil-tents. The application for such amendment must be made by the applicant as soon as practicable. If the justice finds that such contents were otherwise intercepted in accordance with the provisions of this article, he may grant the application.”

The question therefore, is whether the subject telephone conversations and evidence obtained therefrom were admissible as a result of the amended order dated May 5, 1972, which order referred to the crime of robbery and which was based upon a supporting affidavit specifically relating the nature of the communications intercepted on April 17, 1972.

The purpose behind GPL 700.65 (subd. 4) was discussed by the Commission on Revision of Penal Law and Criminal Code as follows: “ Section 822 [the predecessor statute to GPL [60]*60700.65, subd.

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Related

People v. Mahboubian
543 N.E.2d 34 (New York Court of Appeals, 1989)
People v. Di Stefano
53 A.D.2d 813 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1976)
People v. Di Stefano
345 N.E.2d 548 (New York Court of Appeals, 1976)
United States v. Austin
399 F. Supp. 698 (E.D. New York, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
45 A.D.2d 56, 356 N.Y.S.2d 316, 1974 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4753, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-di-stefano-nyappdiv-1974.