People v. Goodwin

23 Misc. 3d 540
CourtPoughkeepsie City Court
DecidedDecember 16, 2008
StatusPublished

This text of 23 Misc. 3d 540 (People v. Goodwin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Poughkeepsie City Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Goodwin, 23 Misc. 3d 540 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

John B. Garrity, J.

The defendant has moved by way of notice of omnibus motion dated October 17, 2008 supported by the affirmation of David S. Martin, Esq., seeking various forms of relief. The People have opposed, by way of “Affirmation in Answer to Defendant’s Notice of Motion” supported by the affirmation of Paul Ackermann, Esq., Assistant Corporation Counsel, dated October 28, 2008. Having read and duly deliberated on the aforementioned motion and the People’s response thereto, this court finds and determines the matter as follows:

Defendant is charged with three counts of violating the “open container” law in violation of Poughkeepsie City Code § 14-19, a violation, said offense having occurred on two separate dates (July 29, 2008 and August 29, 2008).

1. The defendant’s request seeking to dismiss the accusatory instrument on the basis that it does not meet the requirements of an information is denied. An accusatory instrument will be dismissed as facially insufficient only if it fails to allege non-[542]*542hearsay facts of an evidentiary nature that support or tend to support each and every element of the offenses charged and the defendant’s commission thereof. (CPL 100.15 [3]; 100.40 [1] [c]; People v Alejandro, 70 NY2d 133 [1987].) An information is sufficient on its face only if it contains nonhearsay factual allegations which, if true, establish every element of the offense and provide reasonable cause to believe the defendant committed the offense charged. (CPL 100.15 [3]; 100.40 [1] [b], [c]; People v Casey, 95 NY2d 354 [2000].) Here, all of the elements necessary to sustain a challenge to the form and content of an information and a simplified information are met including the fact that it contains sworn allegations of fact establishing each of the elements of the offense based upon the personal knowledge of the officers who arrested the defendant.

2. The defendant challenges the constitutionality of the city ordinance on the following grounds: (1) it is selectively enforced by city law enforcement; (2) it is vague and ambiguous; and (3) it subjects the offender to cruel and unusual punishment. In opposition, the People contend that (1) the defendant has failed to demonstrate a pattern of discrimination in the city’s enforcement of the statute that is consciously practiced by city law enforcement, citing People v Friedman (302 NY 75, 81 [1950]) and People v Elhage (147 AD2d 911 [4th Dept 1989]) in support of their position; (2) that the ordinance is not vague for it gives a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice of the contemplated conduct which is forbidden and its applicability is further clarified with the enactment of subdivision (f) of the ordinance which limits its applicability not to include any activity already regulated by the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Division; and (3) that the defendant has failed to demonstrate how the ordinance is cruel and inhumane.

While the defendant challenges the local ordinance on various constitutional grounds, this court is strongly persuaded by just one of the arguments advanced by the defendant — the one which contends that the ordinance violates the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution in that its punishment is excessively harsh. Despite being impelled by this argument, this court is constrained to deny the motion in light of the fact that a penal sanction has never been struck down on the grounds of disproportionality. (People v Broadie, 37 NY2d 100, 117 [1975], citing People v Fitzpatrick, 32 NY2d 499, 509-513 [1973] [under constraint of Furman v Georgia, 408 US 238 (1972)].)

This court previously ruled in a decision and order dated June 20, 2008, that Poughkeepsie City Code § 14-19 shall be [543]*543deemed a “violation” for purposes of classification of the offense. (People v Tara Killeen [docket Nos. 07-42599; 07-42634; 07-43488; 07-44771; 07-44926; 07-45062; 07-45108; 07-45270]; Penal Law § 55.10 [3] [b].) In Killeen, this court further found that despite the sentencing stricture set forth in Penal Law § 70.15 (4) setting a maximum jail sentence of 15 days for violations, a violation of the open container law (City Code § 14-19) remains punishable by up to six months in jail due to the language that was kept in the Poughkeepsie City Code despite being rendered anachronistic by the subsequent adoption of the Penal Law. (Poughkeepsie City Code § 1-8; Poughkeepsie Common Council Resolution Adopting and Enacting a New Code of Ordinances for the City of Poughkeepsie § 4 [Apr. 18, 1966].) Simply stated, the penalty provision for one convicted of an open container violation in Poughkeepsie was enacted approximately one year (1966) prior to the effective date of the Penal Law (1967) (Penal Law § 55.10 [3] [b]), and while an amendment to the City Code could readily update the statute which presently imposes a démodé penalty, the authority to revise penalties does not rest with this court, rather it lies within the sole discretion of the city’s legislative body.

The defendant’s constitutional challenge is further hampered by the fact that facial challenges to statutes are disfavored because legislative enactments carry a strong presumption of constitutionality. (People v Taylor, 9 NY3d 129, 150 [2007].) Courts are bound to construe statutes as they have been drawn and are not to review the expediency, wisdom or propriety of a legislature’s actions if such matters are performed within its powers. (Lawrence Constr. Corp. v State of New York, 293 NY 634, 639 [1944].) In order to have standing to challenge a statute as unconstitutional, a defendant must demonstrate actual or threatened injury to a protected right. (Duke Power Co. v Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc., 438 US 59 [1978]; People v Parker, 41 NY2d 21 [1976]; People v Merolla, 9 NY2d 62 [1961].) A defendant must also establish that he has been aggrieved by the unconstitutional feature of the statute. (See County Court of Ulster Cty. v Allen, 442 US 140 [1979]; Oriental Blvd. Co. v Heller, 27 NY2d 212 [1970], appeal dismissed 401 US 986 [1971]; People v Beakes Dairy Co., 222 NY 416 [1918].)

Here, there is no actual or threatened injury that the defendant advances which gives him a demonstrated constitutional right to drink alcohol in public places. Moreover, the right of municipalities to regulate the consumption of alcoholic bever[544]*544ages in public has been recognized in New York State. (People v Finch, 88 Misc 2d 581 [Monticello Just Ct, Sullivan County 1976]; People v Elhage, 147 AD2d 911 [1989]; 1986 Ops St Comp No. 86-72; 2003 Ops Atty Gen No. 2003-13.) This right is underscored by the city’s right to regulate the use of municipal property and enact ordinances that tend to preserve good order, peace, health, and the safety and welfare of its inhabitants. (Second Class Cities Law § 30.) “[I]n order to be upheld as constitutional, a law which places some restriction upon an individual’s freedom of action in the name of the police power must bear some reasonable relation to the public good.” (People v Pagnotta, 25 NY2d 333, 337 [1969]; see also People v Uplinger, 58 NY2d 936 [1983]; People v Onofre, 51 NY2d 476, 492 [1980].) The court now turns to the particular constitutional challenges raised in the defendant’s motion:

a. Selective Enforcement

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Related

Yick Wo v. Hopkins
118 U.S. 356 (Supreme Court, 1886)
Furman v. Georgia
408 U.S. 238 (Supreme Court, 1972)
County Court of Ulster Cty. v. Allen
442 U.S. 140 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Solem v. Helm
463 U.S. 277 (Supreme Court, 1983)
People v. Casey
740 N.E.2d 233 (New York Court of Appeals, 2000)
People v. Taylor
878 N.E.2d 969 (New York Court of Appeals, 2007)
People v. Friedman
96 N.E.2d 184 (New York Court of Appeals, 1950)
Am Knitwear v. Exp.-Imp.
41 N.Y.2d 14 (New York Court of Appeals, 1976)
People v. . Beakes Dairy Co.
119 N.E. 115 (New York Court of Appeals, 1918)
People v. . Molineux
61 N.E. 286 (New York Court of Appeals, 1901)
Lawrence Constr. Corp. v. State of New York
59 N.E.2d 630 (New York Court of Appeals, 1944)
People v. Merolla
172 N.E.2d 541 (New York Court of Appeals, 1961)
People v. Pagnotta
253 N.E.2d 202 (New York Court of Appeals, 1969)
Oriental Boulevard Co. v. Heller
265 N.E.2d 72 (New York Court of Appeals, 1970)
People v. Fitzpatrick
300 N.E.2d 139 (New York Court of Appeals, 1973)
People v. Sandoval
314 N.E.2d 413 (New York Court of Appeals, 1974)
People v. Broadie
332 N.E.2d 338 (New York Court of Appeals, 1975)
People v. Onofre
415 N.E.2d 936 (New York Court of Appeals, 1980)
People v. Ventimiglia
420 N.E.2d 59 (New York Court of Appeals, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
23 Misc. 3d 540, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-goodwin-nypoughcityct-2008.