People v. Gary

34 Misc. 3d 523
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 2011
StatusPublished

This text of 34 Misc. 3d 523 (People v. Gary) 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. Gary, 34 Misc. 3d 523 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

[524]*524OPINION OF THE COURT

John L. Kase, J.

Background

On February 7, 2011, a 107-count indictment was filed with the Nassau County Court Clerk charging 14 defendants, each with a count of enterprise corruption, conspiracy in the fourth degree and scheme to defraud in the first degree. Each defendant was charged with additional differing counts, including money laundering in various degrees, falsifying business records in various degrees, identity theft in the first degree and grand larceny in various degrees.

Incidental to the enterprise corruption count, more than 100 pattern criminal acts were set forth in the indictment. In addition thereto, over 40 overt acts were listed under the conspiracy count.

All defendants were arraigned and, on April 6, 2011, specific dates were scheduled by the court regarding time limitations for plea negotiation and discovery.

On that date, in light of the large number of defendants, attorneys, witnesses, and the complexity of the case, a firm date of October 17, 2011 was set for the commencement of trial. All attorneys were directed to make themselves available for trial in accord with the set date.

The court inspected the 1,200 plus pages of grand jury minutes and issued orders on omnibus motions. Various discovery issues were resolved.

Several defendants entered pleas of guilty and were either sentenced or are currently awaiting sentence.

On October 17, 2011, four of the defendants had not arrived at a disposition and were about to proceed to trial. Preliminary logistic matters were settled and a jury panel was ordered for October 20, 2011 in anticipation of the commencement of jury selection relative to the trial of the remaining defendants: Alfred Gary, Stephanie Watkins, Larinzo Clayton and Ethan Berlin.

Prior to the jury panel entering the courtroom, the People disclosed that they had just discovered that the District Attorney, when filing the indictment, failed to file a special information relative to the enterprise corruption charge and consisting of a statement to the court attesting that she had reviewed the substance of the evidence presented to the grand jury and [525]*525concurred in the judgment that the charge is consistent with legislative findings in article 460 of the Penal Law.

Later that same day, a special information pursuant to CPL 200.65 was filed with the Clerk of the Nassau County Court. The information was executed by Honorable Kathleen M. Rice, the District Attorney of Nassau County. The District Attorney’s attestation, dated October 20, 2011, is as follows:

“BE IT REMEMBERED that by this Information, I, KATHLEEN M. RICE, District Attorney of the County of Nassau, State of New York, attest that I am the District Attorney of Nassau County.
“I further attest that I have reviewed the substance of the evidence presented to the Grand Jury which voted the Enterprise Corruption count under Indictment 225N-11 and I concur in the judgement that the charge is consistent with the legislative findings in Article 460 of the Penal Law of the State of New York.”

The trial was adjourned until October 24, 2011 for the attorneys to make whatever applications deemed by them to be appropriate and further to make submissions in support thereof if they desired. Jury selection was adjourned so as to permit a full and complete airing of the issues attending the People’s revelation.

The defendants had submitted the letter of Richard Langone, Esq., attorney for Stephanie Watkins, dated October 24, 2011. Mr. Langone had attached to his letter legislative documents including then Attorney General Robert Abrams Memorandum for the Governor relative to “The Organized Crime Control Act” bill.

A submission dated October 24, 2011, in the form of a motion to dismiss the enterprise corruption count, was provided by David Smith, Esq., the attorney for Larinzo Clayton. Attached thereto was the Abrams Memorandum, as well as the decision in People v Marquez (NYLJ, July 22, 1996, at 25, col 6 [Sup Ct, NY County]).

One of the assistants assigned to try the case, Assistant District Attorney Abigail Margulies, submitted her affirmation dated October 24, 2011. Attached was the October 23, 2011 affirmation of Meg Reiss, Esq., the Executive Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Investigations Division of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office from January 2006 to September 2011, and Chief of Staff to the District Attorney [526]*526from December 2009 to September 2011, an eight-page memorandum of law, a copy of the decision of Queens County Supreme Court Justice Joel L. Blumenfeld in People v Saleem Latif, Robert Franov, and Pedro Puello (indictment No. 1824/2007) and a copy of the decision in People v Marquez (NYLJ, July 22, 1996, at 25, col 6).

On October 24, 2011, at this court’s request, the People provided, for in camera review, copies of Penal Law § 460.60, letters sent by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen M. Rice, including the consent of the “Affected District Attorneys” to the charge of enterprise corruption set forth in indictment 225N-11.

Michael Premisler, Esq., the then attorney for Alfred Gary, had submitted a letter dated October 27, 2011.

On October 26, 2011, defendants Ethan Serlin and Stephanie Watkins entered pleas of guilty and withdrew all motions. On October 27, 2011, Larinzo Clayton entered guilty pleas and withdrew all motions.

On October 27, 2011, the People submitted the affirmation of Assistant District Attorney Marshall Trager, one of the assistants prosecuting the indictment.

The remaining defendant, Alfred Gary, has changed attorneys and awaits trial.

Inasmuch as defendant Gary joined in the applications of his codefendants and adopted their arguments, the aforementioned submissions will be considered by the court.

Discussion

The issue presented to this court is what effect, if any, the People’s late filing of the CPL 200.65 information has on the enterprise corruption count.

The class B felony, “Enterprise corruption,” Penal Law § 460.20, was enacted as part of the Organized Crime Control Act (OCCA) in an effort to combat organized crime in the State of New York.

The statute is largely grounded upon the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) enacted in 1971, as are similar pieces of legislation existing in other states.

The application of OCCA is more limited than that of RICO. The law as enacted was codified with the legislative findings set out in Penal Law § 460.00, immediately preceding the definition section and the elements of the crime of enterprise corruption. [527]*527Although OCCA has its roots in the federal RICO statute, “[t]he organized crime control act is a statute of comparable purpose but tempered by reasonable limitations on its applicability, and by due regard for the rights of innocent persons.” (Penal Law § 460.00.)

The legislative findings continue:

“Once the letter of the law is complied with, including the essential showing that there is a pattern of conduct which is criminal under existing statutes, the question whether to prosecute under those statutes or for the pattern itself is essentially one of fairness.

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Related

§ 460.00
New York PEN § 460.00
§ 460.20
New York PEN § 460.20
§ 460.60
New York PEN § 460.60

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34 Misc. 3d 523, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gary-nysupct-2011.