People v. Dixson

9 Misc. 3d 358
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedJune 22, 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 9 Misc. 3d 358 (People v. Dixson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Criminal Court of the City 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. Dixson, 9 Misc. 3d 358 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Ruth E. Smith, J.

Defendant is charged with petit larceny (Penal Law § 155.25), theft of services (Penal Law § 165.15 [3]), criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree (Penal Law § 170.20), obstructing governmental administration in the second degree (Penal Law § 195.05) and resisting arrest (Penal Law § 205.30). He now moves to dismiss the accusatory instrument on the ground of facial insufficiency. For the reasons that follow, defendant’s motion is denied.

Facts

The complaint reads in pertinent part:

“Deponent is informed by Police Officer Rene Soto, Shield No. 22740, of TD30, that, at the above time and place defendant did approach informant and ask informant if informant wanted a swipe.
“The deponent is further informed by informant observed [sic] the defendant deprive the New York City Transit Authority of a quantity of United States currency by wrongfully taking from two individuals a sum of United States currency that would otherwise have been paid to the New York City Transit Authority as lawful fares from said individuals, in exchange for which the defendant swiped a bent metrocard through the subway turn[360]*360stile for each of these individuals, thereby allowing the said individuals to enter the transit system beyond the turnstiles, and the defendant did not enter the transit system beyond the turnstiles.
“Deponent is further informed by informant that, informant, as a New York City Police Officer, is the custodian of the above-mentioned transit system, and the defendant did not have permission or authority to authorize access to or use of the services of the New York City Transit Authority and that the defendant did not have permission or authority to sell said fares or to collect, accept or retain United States Currency from said individuals entering the New York City transit system, and that by allowing said individuals to enter the transit system in exchange for a sum of United States currency that the defendant received from those individuals, in violation of the regulation set forth in 21 NYCRR 1050.4 (c), the defendant did intentionally obstruct, impair and pervert the administration of the governmental function of the New York City Transit Authority of operating the transit facilities on a self-sustaining basis.
“Deponent is further informed by informant that the informant recovered the metrocards from defendant’s person, and that informant determined these metrocards were unlimited ride metrocards by swiping each of them through a New York City Transit Authority metrocard reader and that informant also observed each of said metrocards to be bent.
“Deponent is further informed by informant that the informant has had professional training in the identification of forged documents, has previously made arrests for the criminal possession of forged documents, has previously seized forged documents, and in the informant’s opinion, the instrument in this case is forged.
“Deponent is further informed by informant that upon attempting to place defendant under arrest, defendant resisted arrest by running away and [flailing] his arms” (complaint, dated Jan. 8, 2005).

Discussion

Defendant argues that the charges of petit larceny (Penal Law § 155.25),. theft of services (Penal Law § 165.15 [3]), crimi[361]*361nal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree (Penal Law § 170.20), and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree (Penal Law § 195.05) are defective. This court shall address each of the charges and denies defendant’s motion in each instance.

An information is facially sufficient if it contains facts of an evidentiary character tending to support every element of the charges and defendant’s commission thereof (CPL 100.15 [3]; People v Dumas, 68 NY2d 729 [1986]). Where the factual allegations contained in an information “give an accused notice sufficient to prepare a defense and are adequately detailed to prevent a defendant from being tried twice for the same offense, they should be given a fair and not overly restrictive or technical reading” (People v Casey, 95 NY2d 354, 360 [2000]; People v Konieczny, 2 NY3d 569 [2004]).

Indeed, “[t]he law does not require that the information contain the most precise words or phrases most clearly expressing the charge, only that the crime and the factual basis therefor be sufficiently alleged” (People v Sylla, 7 Misc 3d 8, 10 [App Term, 2d Dept 2005]). Thus, the court must not rely on “external factors to create jurisdictional defects not evident from the face of the document” (People v Konieczny, 2 NY3d at 576). The complete omission of an element from the face of an accusatory instrument, however, is a jurisdictional defect that requires dismissal (CPL 100.40 [1] [b], [c]; Konieczny at 576; People v Inserra, 4 NY3d 30 [2004]; People v Hall, 4 Misc 3d 60 [App Term, 2d Dept 2004]).

The prima facie case requirement of an accusatory instrument is a lower threshold than the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt required at trial (People v Henderson, 92 NY2d 677, 680 [1999]; People v Hyde, 302 AD2d 101 [1st Dept 2003]). If the evidence supporting the charges is circumstantial, it will be sufficient only if the allegations, and the logical inferences which flow from them, supply proof of every element of the crimes charged, and defendant’s commission thereof (see People v Cooks, 230 AD2d 683, 684 [1st Dept 1996] [sufficiency of evidence before the grand jury], lv denied 89 NY2d 863 [1996]). The People, however, are still required to prove these allegations at trial by the much more stringent burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt (Inserra, supra).

1. Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree (Penal Law § 195.05)

Defendant urges that the obstruction charge is facially insufficient where it fails to allege that defendant physically [362]*362interfered with a public servant, or how defendant’s alleged actions constituted a form of interference amounting to obstruction. The People correctly counter that the charge is valid since the facts related to defendant’s diversion of funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is sufficient to establish an impairment of a governmental function.

“A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration when he intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function or prevents or attempts to prevent a public servant from performing an official function, by means of intimidation, physical force or interference, or by means of any independently unlawful act, or by means of interfering, whether or not physical force is involved, with radio, telephone, television or other telecommunications systems owned or operated by the state, or a county, city, town, village, fire district or emergency medical service or by means of releasing a dangerous animal under circumstances evincing the actor’s intent that the animal obstruct governmental administration” (Penal Law § 195.05).

The operation of the subway system is a function of the government.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 Misc. 3d 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-dixson-nycrimct-2005.