People v. Fusco

75 Misc. 2d 981, 348 N.Y.S.2d 858, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1394
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedOctober 17, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 75 Misc. 2d 981 (People v. Fusco) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Fusco, 75 Misc. 2d 981, 348 N.Y.S.2d 858, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1394 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

Habold M. Spitzes, J.

The defendant, Pasquale Fusco, has made five omnibus motions to suppress evidence; all of the 49 defendants join in these motions. Each motion is addressed to one of a series of five interrelated wiretap orders issued in 1972. The first order was issued by the Hon. Paul Kelly on April 25, 1972 authorizing the interception of communications made over a telephone being used by defendant Tim Gabriel, otherwise known as court order No. 3-72, hereinafter referred to as GO-3. On May 18, 1972, the Hon. Frank A. Gulotta authorized the interception of communications made over a phone used by two males known as “ Angelo ” and “ Bobby ”, otherwise known as court order No. 4-1972, hereinafter referred to as CO-4. On May 26, 1972, Mr. Justice Gulotta issued an order authorizing the interception of conversations made over a telephone being used by Joey ”, otherwise known as court order No. 5-1972, hereinafter referred to as CO-5. On June 15, 1972, the same [983]*983Justice issued an order authorizing the interception of conversations made over a telephone used by defendant John J. Savino, otherwise known as court order No. 6-1972, hereinafter referred to as CO-6. On June 22, 1972, an order authorizing the interception of conversations made over a phone used by John Doe ” and “ Richard Doe ”, otherwise known as court order No. 7-1972, hereinafter referred to as CO-7, was signed by Mr. Justice G-ulotta. These five motions are largely repetitive and the following is the court’s decision pertaining to all of these motions.

Upon oral argument the defendants contended that this court, which is the trial court, is not the proper forum for the determination of what they describe as motions to contravene the wiretap orders. They argue that the motions ought to be referred to the issuing Judge and Justice. On oral argument defense counsel said: We now have here a situation of collateral appeal: where a member of the Bench who is not as high as the two signing judges is asked to review their decision on the issuance of the wiretap order. ” In support of this argument, counsel cites People v. Gray (61 Misc 2d 769), which case was decided before the Criminal Procedure Law came into force.

While the defendants’ contention is not without logic, this court is constrained by statute and the clear legislative intent expressed therein to hear and decide these motions. CPL article 710 governs motions to suppress. CPL 710.20 (subd. 2) provides for the suppression of evidence including the suppression of conversations overheard or recorded by means of eavesdropping. CPL 710.50 (subd. 1, par. [a]) provides that when an indictment is pending in a superior court, the motion to suppress must be made in the superior court in which such indictment is pending. Therefore, this court, as the trial court, possesses jurisdiction to entertain and decide these motions.

(i). The defendants seek to set aside and vacate the wiretap orders upon the ground that CPL article 700 covering “ Eavesdropping Warrants ” fail to conform to the Federal requirements of title III of The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (U. S. Code, tit. 18, ch. 119, § 2510 et seq.). Defendants argue that the Federal statute requires that an applicant for such orders be the principal prosecuting authority of the State or the principal prosecuting attorney of a political subdivision thereof, and that the State Legislature exceeded its authority by enabling an application to be made by others. CO-3 and CO-7 were issued upon the application of Edward Margolin, Acting District Attorney of Nassau County.

[984]*984Subdivision 4 of section 702 of the County Law provides that where there are two or more Assistant District Attorneys, the District Attorney shall designate in writing and file in the office of the County Clerk, and the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the order in which such assistants shall exercise the powers and duties of the office in the event of a vacancy or when the District Attorney is absent or disabled.

Subdivision 3 of section 702 of the County Law provides The assistant during the absence or inability of the district attorney shall perform the powers and duties of the office of district attorney ’ Thus, when the District Attorney is absent or disabled, his designated assistant assumes the primary responsibility for the initiation and prosecution of criminal cases within the county and is, in fact, “ the principal prosecuting attorney ” pro tempore.

CPL 700.05 (subd. 5) authorizes “ a district attorney or the attorney general ’ ’ to apply for wiretap orders. If, however, a District Attorney or the Attorney-General is actually absent or disabled, that person 11 designated to act for him and perform his official function in and during his actual absence or disability ’ ’ may make such application.

The above section conforms to the Federal requirements, inasmuch as the designated Assistant District Attorney is both (a) the principal prosecuting attorney ” of the county, and (b) authorized by statute law to apply for a wiretap order, when the District Attorney is actually absent or disabled.

(ii). The defendants argue that the applications for CO-3 and CO-7 are defective by reason of the Acting District Attorney’s failure to allege facts tending to establish his authority to make the applications. The applications in question state simply: 11 EDWARD mabgolin, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am the Acting District Attorney of the County of Nassau, State of New York, .pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law, Section 700.05(5).” The provisions of CPL 700.05 (subd. 5) and subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 702 of the County Law, dealing with the authority of an Assistant District Attorney to make application for a wiretap order, have hereinabove been discussed.

CPL 700.20 sets forth the requirements for an application to authorize eavesdropping. Subdivision 2 of that section specifies • what an application must contain. It speaks both of ‘ ‘ statement ’ ’ and ‘ ‘ statement of facts ’ ’. Thus, an application must contain a full and complete statement of facts establishing that normal investigative procedures have been tried and have failed or reasonably appear unlikely to succeed if tried”. (CPL [985]*985700.20, subd. 2, par. [d]). In contrast, the application need only contain “a statement of the applicant’s authority”. (GPL 700.20, subd. 2, par. [a].)

In the instant case there is “ a statement of the applicant’s authority ’ ’ for the application states ‘ ‘ I am the Acting District Attorney ’ ’ and then cites the relevant statutory provision. This sufficiently satisfied the statute.

Additionally, defendants allege that the United States Code (tit. 18, § 2516, subd. [2]) authorizes applications for eavesdropping orders in an investigation of “ gambling ”, and since “ gambling ” per se is not a crime in Hew York, New York Law cannot constitutionally permit eavesdropping in investigating violations of section 225.05 through section 225.20 of the Penal Law. In support of this argument defendants cite the definition of “ gambling ” in subdivision 2 of section 225.00 of the Penal Law and the fact that casual betting is not a crime. (See Penal Law, §.225.00, subd. 9.)

Subdivision (2) of section 2516 of title 18 is a Federal statute and must, therefore, be construed under Federal, not New York law.

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Bluebook (online)
75 Misc. 2d 981, 348 N.Y.S.2d 858, 1973 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1394, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-fusco-nycountyct-1973.