People v. Goldstein

14 A.D.3d 32, 786 N.Y.S.2d 428, 2004 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14428
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 30, 2004
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 14 A.D.3d 32 (People v. Goldstein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Goldstein, 14 A.D.3d 32, 786 N.Y.S.2d 428, 2004 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14428 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Williams, J.

On January 3, 1999, defendant, a schizophrenic, after alarming other commuters with his erratic behavior, shoved Kendra Webdale from the platform of the 23rd Street and Broadway subway station onto the train tracks in front of an oncoming N train. The incident received widespread media coverage. Defendant’s first trial ended in a mistrial, and the proceedings in question on this appeal occurred at his retrial in February-March 2000.

Defendant raises several issues on appeal: (a) whether the trial court erred in precluding the testimony of his expert supporting the defense of extreme emotional disturbance (BED) on the ground that defendant gave inadequate notice pursuant to CPL 250.10; (b) whether the trial court improperly charged the jury that (1) in order to satisfy the insanity defense, defendant had to prove both that he lacked the capacity to understand the nature and consequences of his conduct and that the conduct was wrong, or (2) even if irresistible impulse was caused by [35]*35mental illness, it was not a defense; (c) whether the court improperly objected, sua sponte, to the testimony of a defense expert who opined that defendant’s conduct was not intentional or of a depraved nature when he shoved Ms. Webdale in front of the train; (d) whether defendant was deprived of his right of confrontation, his right to present a defense or his right to due process when the trial court allowed the prosecution’s forensic psychiatrist to testify to certain hearsay interviews she conducted in formulating her opinion or when the court precluded defendant from offering a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan in support of his insanity defense; and (e) whether defendant was denied effective assistance of counsel by counsel’s failure to file adequate CPL 250.10 notice of the EED defense, or failure to object to the court’s allegedly erroneous insanity charge, or by other alleged inadequacies of trial counsel.

Defendant’s challenge to the court’s preclusion of the expert witness who was to testify as to his EED defense is without merit. Defendant’s constitutional argument in this regard, that he was denied the right to compulsory process or due process, was never raised below and is thus unpreserved (see People v Gonzalez, 54 NY2d 729 [1981]), and we decline to review this unpreserved claim in the interest of justice. Were we to review it, we would reject it. The court permitted defendant’s late CPL 250.10 notice that he would offer an EED defense. Soon after the prosecution received notice that the expert had joined the defense team, they moved for information as to her interviews, investigations and conclusions, among other things, which defendant refused, expressly advising the court that the expert would not testify as to the EED defense. When the defense finally gave notice that the expert would testify as to the EED defense and, despite admonitions by the court, willfully refused to produce the expert’s report on the eve of trial as the court ordered, the court precluded the witness (see Noble v Kelly, 246 F3d 93, 100 n 3 [2d Cir 2001], cert denied 534 US 886 [2001]; People v Brown, 306 AD2d 12 [2003], lv denied 100 NY2d 592 [2003]; People v Walker, 294 AD2d 218 [2002], lv denied 98 NY2d 772 [2002]; see also CPL 240.30 [1] [a]), but not the defense. Such preclusion was proper. Even if preclusion were error, we find it to be harmless, since the expert’s testimony would have been seriously undermined by her admission in the report that defendant “totally denie[d]” that he felt any EED at the time of his misconduct. Furthermore, the expert testimony received at trial establishes, at most, defendant’s anger and [36]*36embarrassment over rejection by women in general, or by a woman resembling the victim. Such emotions are “ ‘not equivalent to the loss of self-control generally associated with that defense’ ” (People v Felix, 232 AD2d 228, 229 [1996], lv denied 89 NY2d 864 [1996], quoting People v Walker, 64 NY2d 741, 743 [1984]).

Defendant’s challenge to the trial court’s insanity defense charge also requires preservation (see People v Robinson, 88 NY2d 1001 [1996]), and we decline to review this unpreserved claim in the interest of justice. Were we to review it, we would find that the error in question appears to be a transcription error (People v Acosta, 309 AD2d 521 [2003], lv denied 1 NY3d 624 [2004]; People v Fernandez, 287 AD2d 347, 348 [2001], lv denied 97 NY2d 704 [2002]; People v Valdes, 283 AD2d 187 [2001], lv denied 97 NY2d 688 [2001]), since the defense did not object when the charge was given, since in the other numerous instances where the standard was stated, it was stated correctly, since the error consisted of the inclusion of a single word— “not”—which, if removed, would render the charge entirely correct, and since another transcription error appears on the same page.

Defendant also challenges the portion of the court’s insanity charge that distinguished between cognitive and volitional tests; this challenge requires preservation as well (see People v Robinson, supra), and we also decline to review this unpreserved claim in the interest of justice. Were we to review it, we would find that this portion of the charge was proper. Under New York law, a defendant’s irresistible impulse to commit a crime does not immunize him or her from criminal liability (see People v Wood, 12 NY2d 69, 77 [1962]). Penal Law § 40.15 posits a cognitive test, i.e., it only allows a defendant to avoid criminal liability if he or she lacked substantial capacity to know and appreciate either the nature and consequences of his or her conduct or that such conduct is wrong. It is not sufficient that the defendant merely claim he or she was subject to an irresistible impulse (see People v Hakner, 34 NY2d 822 [1974]). In any event, the irresistible impulse defense allegedly offered by defendant was actually a cognitive defense, i.e., his “mental functioning was split off ... in his head at the time such that he really did not comprehend what he was doing and that it was wrong,” and in summation, defense counsel stated as much. Finally, defendant’s reference to language in the Criminal Jury Instructions advisory notes suggesting a volitional test is [37]*37contradicted by other language in the notes correctly stating that New York relies upon a cognitive test, not a volitional one (see 1CJI[NY] 40.15, at 965A-965B, 965I-965J [Dec. 31, 1986]). The language suggesting a volitional test is incorrect and would not be controlling in any case (cf. People v Davis, 118 AD2d 206, 210-211 [1986], lv denied 68 NY2d 768 [1986]).

Defendant’s challenge to the trial court’s sua sponte objection to defendant’s expert’s testimony as to intent, and his related claims of deprivation of due process and his right to present a defense, require preservation (see People v Robinson, supra), and we decline to review these unpreserved claims in the interest of justice. Defendant did not object when the court intervened, and never made the argument at trial that he makes on appeal, that expert testimony on the ultimate issue before the jury is allowable “where the conclusions to be drawn from the facts ‘depend upon professional or scientific knowledge or skill not within the range of ordinary training or intelligence’ ” (People v Cronin, 60 NY2d 430, 432 [1983] [internal citations omitted]).

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Bluebook (online)
14 A.D.3d 32, 786 N.Y.S.2d 428, 2004 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14428, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-goldstein-nyappdiv-2004.