People v. Forgione

21 Misc. 3d 691
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 22, 2008
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 21 Misc. 3d 691 (People v. Forgione) 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. Forgione, 21 Misc. 3d 691 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2008).

Opinion

[692]*692OPINION OF THE COURT

Dan Lamont, J.

The indictment charges the defendant Anthony Forgione with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. The first and second counts allege that on or about September 25, 2005, at 16 Cataract Street, City of Cohoes, Albany County, the defendant Anthony Forgione did knowingly and unlawfully sell the controlled substances oxymetholone and testosterone to Arthur C., there being no legitimate medical need for such drugs. The third count alleges that on or about December 20, 2005, at 16 Cataract Street, City of Cohoes, Albany County, the defendant Anthony Forgione did knowingly and unlawfully sell the controlled substance testosterone to Arthur C., there being no legitimate medical need for such drug.

Defendant, by omnibus motion, moves this court for an order granting the following relief:

I. Dismissal of the Indictment for Defective Grand Jury Proceeding

The court finds that the proceedings before the grand jury substantially conformed to the requirements of article 190 of the Criminal Procedure Law. Although limited hearsay/ irrelevant information was presented to the grand jury — such as the undercover officer ordering controlled substances from other clinics — and the legal instructions would certainly not be sufficient for this court to charge the trial jury, this court holds and determines that such deficiencies were not so egregious as to impair the integrity of the grand jury’s deliberations (see People v Wade, 260 AD2d 946 [3d Dept 1999]; see also People v Calbud, Inc., 49 NY2d 389 [1980]). Motion denied.

II. Dismissal of the Indictment for Alleged Insufficiency of the Evidence Before the Grand Jury

This court has examined the stenographic minutes of the grand jury proceeding resulting in the instant indictment. Release of the grand jury minutes to legal counsel is not necessary to assist the court in making its determination on the motion.

Criminal Procedure Law § 190.65, “Grand jury; when indictment is authorized,” provides in part as follows:

“1. Subject to the rules prescribing the kinds of offenses which may be charged in an indictment, a [693]*693grand jury may indict a person for an offense when (a) the evidence before it is legally sufficient to establish that such person committed such offense provided, however, such evidence is not legally sufficient when corroboration that would be required, as a matter of law, to sustain a conviction for such offense is absent, and (b) competent and admissible evidence before it provides reasonable cause to believe that such person committed such offense.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The grand jury may indict a person for an offense when it possesses legally sufficient evidence that also establishes reasonable cause to believe that such person has committed such offense (People v Hackett, 228 AD2d 377 [1st Dept 1996], lv denied 88 NY2d 986 [1996]). In People v Swamp (84 NY2d 725 [1995]), the Court of Appeals stated:

“The first prong of the statute requires that the People present a prima facie case; the second ‘dictates the degree of certitude grand jurors must possess to indict’ (People v Jennings, 69 NY2d 103, 115). On a motion to dismiss an indictment under CPL 210.20 (1) (b), the court is limited to consideration of the first prong, legal sufficiency of the evidence. Inquiry into the adequacy of the proof to establish reasonable cause — the ‘degree of certitude’ the evidence provides — is exclusively the province of the Grand Jury (CPL 190.65 [1] [b]; People v Jennings, 69 NY2d, at 115).” (Id. at 729-730.)

The grand jury’s primary function is to investigate crimes and determine whether sufficient evidence exists to accuse a citizen of a crime and subject him or her to criminal prosecution (see People v Swamp, supra). “The reviewing court must consider whether the evidence, viewed most favorably to the People, if unexplained and uncontradicted — and deferring all questions as to the weight or quality of the evidence — would warrant conviction” (id. at 730, citing People v Mikuszewski, 73 NY2d 407, 411 [1989] and People v Jennings, 69 NY2d 103, 114-115 [1986]).

(a) Lack of Formal Laboratory Analysis

In this case, no evidence of any formal laboratory analysis was presented to the grand jury. The substances allegedly sold by defendant Forgione to Arthur C. in 2005 were never recovered and were not available for laboratory testing and analysis. The only evidence as to the identification of the al[694]*694leged controlled substances herein was the sworn testimony of Arthur C.

In People v Kenny (30 NY2d 154 [1972]), the Court of Appeals held that the People’s witness lacked sufficient experience and qualifications and therefore lacked a reliable basis to establish the identity of marihuana — the essence of the crime charged.

In People v Mullen (152 AD2d 260 [3d Dept 1989]), the Appellate Division, Third Department, determined that a witness who “characterized himself as an habitual user of cocaine for some 6 to 8 months prior to January 7, 1979 and described his sensations from snorting the material defendant gave him as being the same as he experienced when using cocaine previously” (id. at 265) was competent to testify as to the identity of the substance at issue.

In People v Christopher (161 AD2d 896 [3d Dept 1990]), the Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed County Court’s determination permitting a witness to testify regarding the identity of the substance in question. The witness

“testified that he had both injected and snorted heroin in the past, that he had taken other substances by injection and that the feeling produced by the substance in question was similar to that of heroin and was different from that of other substances. Thus, he was competent to render an opinion regarding the identity of the substance.” (Id. at 898.)

In People v O’Neill (285 AD2d 669 [3d Dept 2001]), the Appellate Division, Third Department, wrote:

“ ‘[I]n a drug-related prosecution, the People’s case is legally sufficient if the evidence provides a “reliable basis” for inferring the presence of a controlled substance . . . [but m]ore than conclusory assertions that the defendant possessed a drug are required at the Grand Jury stage’ (People v Swamp, 84 NY2d 725, 730 [citation omitted]). At trial, drug users who can demonstrate a knowledge of the narcotic are competent to testify in situations where the illegal substance is not available for analysis (see, People v Christopher, 161 AD2d 896, 897, lv denied 76 NY2d 786; People v Mullen, 152 AD2d 260, 266). The focus of the inquiry is on ‘ “the experience of the witness and the nature of his [or her] qualifications to identify the substance at issue” ’ (People v Czarnowski, 268 AD2d 701, 702 . . . ).” [695]*695(Id. at 671-672.)

In People v O’Neill (supra), the substance allegedly sold by O’Neill was not

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Related

People v. Forgione
67 A.D.3d 1071 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2009)

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21 Misc. 3d 691, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-forgione-nysupct-2008.