People v. Einhorn

75 Misc. 2d 183, 346 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1843
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 11, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 75 Misc. 2d 183 (People v. Einhorn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Einhorn, 75 Misc. 2d 183, 346 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1843 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

Allen Murray Myers, J.

The defendant, a pharmacist, is charged in an 11-count indictment, with one violation of section 220.30 of the Penal Law, a Class D felony and 10 violations of the Education Law, all misdemeanors.

This is an omnibus motion by defendant:

1. To inspect the Grand Jury minutes on the ground that:
a. The procedure for making- the sale of methaqualone a felony is an unconstitutional delegation of the legislative power ;
b. The delay between the crime charged and the date of the indictment violated defendant’s right to a prompt and speedy trial;
2. For a hearing to suppress telephone recordings made between defendant and others;
3. To controvert the search warrant;
4. For an order directing the District Attorney to turn over certain papers including transcripts of telephonic recording between defendant and others;
5. For an order directing the District Attorney to supply a bill of particulars.

The District Attorney has agreed to supply the defendant with transcripts of the recorded items and has supplied all the particulars requested except the names of the person or persons to whom the illegal sales of drugs were allegedly made. This decision will therefore deal with the remaining requests.

The first part of defendant’s motion, to inspect the Grand Jury minutes, is addressed to the fact that the first count of the indictment charges a felony, violation of section 220.30 of the Penal Law; which crime he claims was created as a result of the unconstitutional delegation of a legislative function to the State Commissioner of Health. In addition, the defendant claims that he cannot be held for a felony because he was unaware that the offense with which he was charged, which [185]*185to his knowledge had been a misdemeanor, had become a felony.

The particular statute that defendant challenges is former section 3372 of the Public Health Law which provided: “ The commissioner is hereby authorized and empowered to make any rules, regulations and determinations which in his judgment may be necessary or proper to supplement the provisions of this article to effectuate the purposes and intent thereof or to clarify its provisions so as to provide the procedure or details to secure effective and proper enforcement of its provisions.”

On February 8, 1973 the Commissioner issued an order adding methaqualone to the list of controlled drugs. That order became effective when filed with the Secretary of State on February 9, 1973 (10 NYCRR former 81.47 [c] [1]). Defendant is charged with the illegal sale of methaqualone on or about March 1, 1973. Prior to the listing of methaqualone as a controlled drug, its sale without a prescription was a misdemeanor violation of the Education Law. Defendant claims that the delegation to the Commissioner of the power to add drugs to the controlled drug list is an illegal delegation of the legislative power because it empowers the Commissioner to create new crimes. I note that as of April 1, 1973, the old article 33 of the Public Health Law was repealed and a new article 33 went into effect. However that has no bearing on the issues on this motion.

In order to determine the significance of former section 3372 of the Public Health Law it must be read in conjunction with the other statutes applicable to the crime charged in this case.

Defendant is charged with violation of section 220.30 of the Penal Law which provides: “A person is guilty of criminally selling a dangerous drug in the fourth degree when he knowingly and unlawfully sells a dangerous drug.” Subdivision 4 of section 220.00 of the Penal Law defined a dangerous drug as “ any narcotic drug, depressant or stimulant drug, or hallucinogenic drug.” Subdivision 1 of former section 3371 of the Public Health Law defined “ depressant or stimulant drug”, setting forth the qualities the Commissioner must find present before he could classify the drug pursuant to the authority vested in him by former section 3372 of the Public Health Law. He merely tests a substance for those qualities, a purely ministerial act.

Legislative enactments are presumed valid and the burden is upon the person attacking such validity to demonstrate it [186]*186beyond a reasonable doubt (Matter of Van Berkel v. Power, 16 N Y 2d 37; People v. Perez, 56 Misc 2d 424). Not only has defendant failed to meet this burden but the interrelation of the statutes is an example of the correct method of delegation of legislative functions..

Section 1 of article III of the Constitution of New York State provides that “ The legislative power of this State shall be vested in the Senate and Assembly.” While inherently legislative powers may not be delegated, 11 there is a large field in which the legislature * * * ‘ may certainly delegate to others powers which the legislature may rightfully exercise itself ’ ” (Matter of Village of Saratoga Springs v. Saratoga Gas, Elec. Light & Power Co., 191 N. Y. 123, 138). The Legislature may authorize a subordinate body to administer and execute its law “ provided á reasonably clear standard is formulated to govern the exercise of discretion by the subordinate body (Packer Coll. Inst. v. University of State of N. Y., 298 N. Y. 184).” (People V. Carmichael, 56 Misc 2d 388, 391). In delegating a legislative power, it is incumbent upon the Legislature to lay down “ ‘ an intelligible principle ’, specifying the standards or guides in as detailed a fashion as is reasonably practicable in the light qf the complexities of the particular area to be regulated.” (Matter of City of Utica v. Water Pollution Control Bd., 5 N Y 2d 164, 169). It is a peculiarly legislative power to define and declare crimes and public offenses but the Legislature may delegate the power to make reasonable rules and regulations to an administrator or administrative agency (People v. Grant, 242 App. Div. 310). The Legislature may not delegate the authority to create a crime and prescribe the penalties therefore (People v. Ryan, 267 N. Y. 133).

In this case the Legislature declared the crime and its punishment (Penal Law, § 220.30), defined the material elements of the crime (Penal Law, § 220.00), and then delegated the authority within strict guidelines and standards (Public Health Law, § 3371, subd. 1) to the Commissioner of Health to add or subtract from the list of controlled drugs (Public Health Law, § 3372). There is nothing vague or unconstitutional about section 3372 of the Public Health Law (see United States v. Cardiff, 344 U. S. 174 for discussion of vagueness). The remainder of the statutes discussed hereinabove also fit into the framework of the proper exercise of legislative function (see People v. Ricci, 59 Misc 2d 259).

[187]*187Defendant was not entitled to notice of the Commissioner’s addition of methaqualone to the controlled drug list making its sale without a prescription a felony.

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Bluebook (online)
75 Misc. 2d 183, 346 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1843, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-einhorn-nysupct-1973.