People v. Ginther

42 Misc. 3d 664, 976 N.Y.S.2d 368
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 5, 2013
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 42 Misc. 3d 664 (People v. Ginther) 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. Ginther, 42 Misc. 3d 664, 976 N.Y.S.2d 368 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

[666]*666OPINION OF THE COURT

Robert J. Collini, J.

A combined Dunaway ¡Huntley1 hearing and “chemical test refusal hearing” (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1194 [2] [f|) having been held before this court on October 4, 2013 on those branches of defendant’s omnibus motion to suppress evidence, and upon consideration of the arguments of counsel,2 it is decided as follows:

Findings of Fact

Police Officer Scott Samarisi of the 122nd Precinct testified on behalf of the People. He was the sole witness at this hearing. Having observed his testimony and overall demeanor, the court finds his testimony credible in all respects.

A police officer with a seven-year tenure with the New York City Police Department, he received training in the recognition of individuals under the influence of alcohol and drugs and made approximately 75 arrests for driving under the influence (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192).

PO. Samarisi was working on December 29, 2012 from 11:15 p.m. to 7:50 a.m. on December 30, 2012 inside the 122nd Precinct as a telephone switchboard operator under the supervision of his lieutenant-supervisor at the desk.

At 1:30 a.m. on December 30, 2012, defendant — who had three small children with him — came inside the precinct to report that he was in an accident. He claimed that another person cut off his vehicle at Amboy Road and Armstrong Avenue; that person (a male) exited his car and claimed that defendant sideswiped his vehicle while they were driving.

Defendant continued that the other driver possessed a tire jack and that he had swung it at him. Over the course of approximately five minutes, defendant was incapable of explaining to PO. Samarisi specifically how the other driver allegedly threatened him with the jack.

PO. Samarisi observed a strong odor of alcohol on defendant’s breath; red, watery eyes; an unsteady gait; and slurred speech. [667]*667It was his opinion that defendant was intoxicated. He asked defendant if he had anything to drink, to which he replied that he was driving from a family party and had only a couple of teas. He added that his Econoline van was parked across the street, which EO. Samarisi did visually observe.3

Police Officers Morales and Scarran from the Staten Island Task Force — who were at the precinct when defendant was present — were asked by EO. Samarisi to administer a portable breath test (PBT) to defendant. (EO. Samarisi indicated that his PBT was not readily available, but that he had used that device numerous times.)

He was told that if he passed the test, he would go home; if he did not pass the PBT, he would be arrested. The results of the PBT4 (referring to the Intoxilyzer S-D2) showed defendant’s blood alcohol content as .17%. He was immediately placed under arrest at that time (approximately 2:26 a.m.).

Immediately following his arrest, defendant was removed to the 120th Precinct intoxicated driver testing (IDT) room. EO. Samarisi drove defendant to the 120th Precinct in a marked police vehicle.

Police Officer Goldberg of the Highway Unit was at the IDT room and offered defendant — on video, which is in evidence — a separate breath test and a physical coordination test. This occurred at approximately 3:16 a.m. and EO. Samarisi was present. Defendant twice refused to submit to the breath (chemical) test and the coordination test.

Conclusions of Law

At a Huntley hearing, the People must prove the voluntariness of a defendant’s statement — and, if applicable, a waiver of his Miranda rights — beyond a reasonable doubt (People v Rosa, 65 NY2d 380, 386 [1985]; People v Higgins, 28 AD2d 1016 [3d Dept 1967]).

The Miranda rule was summarized by our Court of Appeals:

“The Miranda rule protects the privilege against self-incrimination and, ‘because the privilege applies only when an accused is “compelled” to testify, the safeguards required by Miranda are not trig[668]*668gered unless a suspect is subject to “custodial interrogation” ’ (People v Berg, 92 NY2d 701, 704 [1999]). The standard for assessing a suspect’s custodial status is whether a reasonable person innocent of any wrongdoing would have believed that he or she was not free to leave (see People v Harris, 48 NY2d 208, 215 [1979]; People v Yukl, 25 NY2d 585, 589 [1969], cert denied 400 US 851 [1970])” (People v Paulman, 5 NY3d 122, 129 [2005]; see also People v Tankleff, 84 NY2d 992, 994 [1994]).

The factors to be considered to determine whether a suspect is in custody include: (1) the amount of time spent with the police; (2) whether the suspect’s freedom of action was restricted; (3) the location and atmosphere under which the questioning took place; (4) the suspect’s degree of cooperation; (5) whether constitutional rights were administered; and (6) whether the questioning was investigatory or accusatory in nature (People v Centano, 76 NY2d 837, 838 [1990]; People v Hardy, 223 AD2d 839, 840 [3d Dept 1996]; People v Macklin, 202 AD2d 445, 446 [2d Dept 1994], lv denied 83 NY2d 912 [1994]; People v Bailey, 140 AD2d 356, 358 [2d Dept 1988]). These factors are all to be considered but none are, in and of themselves, dispositive. The court must look to the totality of the circumstances (Stansbury v California, 511 US 318, 322 [1994]; People v Coggins, 234 AD2d 469, 470 [2d Dept 1996]).

The record is clear that the defendant was not in custody at any point until such time when he was asked to submit to the PBT.

Here, defendant went to the 122nd Precinct entirely on his own volition and chose to speak with the police. He freely walked around the precinct to speak with PO. Samarisi, who was seated behind the desk, while also tending to his young children. His children, who were less than 15 years old, were situated away from the desk where the officer and lieutenant were stationed. Neither did any police officer come out to stand next to defendant, nor were any commands issued to defendant. No reasonable person, innocent of any wrongdoing, would have thought that he or she was not free to leave.

Thus, defendant’s noticed statements made at the 122nd Precinct are admissible on the People’s direct case.

Probable cause requires the existence of facts and circumstances which, when viewed as a whole, would lead a reasonable person possessing the same expertise as the arresting officer to [669]*669conclude that an offense has been or is being committed, and that the defendant committed or is committing that offense (People v Bigelow, 66 NY2d 417, 423 [1985]; People v McRay, 51 NY2d 594, 602 [1980]; People v Hicks, 287 AD2d 649, 649 [2d Dept 2001]; People v Guo Fai Liu, 271 AD2d 695, 696 [2d Dept 2000], lv denied 95 NY2d 866 [2000]).

A finding of probable cause does not, however, require the same quantum of proof necessary to sustain a conviction, or to establish a prima facie case (Bigelow, 66 NY2d at 423; McRay, 51 NY2d at 602). Rather “it need merely appear more probable than not that a crime has taken place and that the one arrested is its perpetrator” (People v Hill,

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Bluebook (online)
42 Misc. 3d 664, 976 N.Y.S.2d 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ginther-nysupct-2013.