People v. Green

46 Misc. 2d 812, 260 N.Y.S.2d 941, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1758
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 21, 1965
StatusPublished

This text of 46 Misc. 2d 812 (People v. Green) 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. Green, 46 Misc. 2d 812, 260 N.Y.S.2d 941, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1758 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1965).

Opinion

David L. Malbin, J.

This is a motion pro se for a writ of error coram nobis requesting a hearing as to the voluntariness of an alleged confession. The application is based on the authority of Jackson v. Denno (378 U. S. 368) and the procedure prescribed and adopted by the opinion of Chief Judge Desmond in People v. Huntley (15 N Y 2d 72).

Briefly the record indicates that the petitioner-defendant was jointly indicted with a codefendant on January 25, 1963 for the crimes of burglary in the third degree and grand larceny in the second degree; that he was thereafter convicted by the jury on April 22, 1963 for the crimes of unlawful entry and grand larceny in the second degree.

On August 7,1963, after he was adjudged to be a second felony offender, the defendant was sentenced to ,Sing Sing Prison for a term of 2% to 10 years.

Reviewing briefly the trial minutes, the testimony disclosed that the assistant manager of Sheffield Farms described the premises and stated that he closed the place before he left; that he observed everything was in order, and later on he had ascertained that two comptometers were missing. The proof established that the premises had been burglarized and the above-mentioned adding machines were taken. A police officer testified that he received a police communication while on radio patrol about 11:00 p.m., and he immediately repaired to the vicinity of the situs of the burglary. Bn route the patrolman saw a person place an adding machine under a parked truck; he then followed the defendant Green into the foyer of a house which premises were about one and a-half blocks from the scene of the crime. The officer questioned the defendant; it was very [814]*814brief and the following is the transcript as it appears in the record of the trial. Questioning of Patrolman Lefkowitz:

Q What was this defendant doing at the time you entered the foyer? A He was jiggling the knob trying to get in.
Q What do you mean by jiggling the knob? A He had his hand on the knob and was trying to get inside.
Q In addition to seeing this person, the defendant, in the foyer, was there any item or article or object there in the foyer? A There was.
Q What was that? A There was a Remington adding machine.
Q I show you People’s Exhibit 1 and ask you if that machine is indicated or shown on this particular photograph? A It is. .
Q What machine was that? A It is the lighter colored machine.
Q Where did you see that machine at the time? A It was on the floor inside the foyer between two doors.
Q How far away was that machine from where this particular defendant was standing? A About two feet.
Q Did you then speak to this defendant regarding the machine? A Yes, I did.
Q What question did you ask him and what answers did he give you ? A I asked him where he got the machine. He said he got it from Sheffield Farms. I asked him how did he get in there. He said he asked permission to use the bathroom. He said he went up, went into the bathroom, and as he came out, he saw two machines, and him and his partner picked them up and took them.

It is conceded and a perusal of the record indicates that no objection was interposed as to the admissibility of the alleged inculpatory statements or confession; nor was there any question raised as to the voluntariness of the interrogation and the defendant’s answers. However, the record does disclose that at page 159 of the court’s charge, the jury was instructed as follows: “ The prosecution has also claimed that the defendant made a voluntary admission when questioned by the police officer as to where he got the adding machine. The police officer stated that the defendant, as I just explained to you, said he got it from Sheffield Farms. ‘ I asked permission to go to the bathroom, and then I went in and took the machine. ’ That statement is in the nature of a confession, and it requires that I instruct you as to its effect. Section 395 of the Code of Criminal Procedure reads as follows: ‘ A confession of a defendant, whether in the course of judicial proceedings or to a private person, can be given in evidence against him, unless made under the influence of fear produced by threats, or unless made upon a stipulation of the district attorney, that he shall not be prosecuted therefor; but it is not sufficient to warrant his conviction, without additional proof that the crime charged has been committed.’ This applies equally to a confession that is oral as well as written. It is not necessary to have any defendant sign a confession in order that it be determined valid. If believed, a confession, written or oral, is as good as if signed by the defendant. * * * No confession, oral or written is [815]*815of any value, however, unless it is a voluntary one. If you find that the confession was voluntary and true, you may consider it and give it the weight that you deem it should have ”.

Obviously the trial court charged the jury on voluntariness. Under these circumstances as it was concisely and definitely stated in People v. Huntley (supra, p. 77): “ No Jackson-Denno hearing will be necessary in cases where a confession was admitted without any objection by the defendant or any assertion by him or his witnesses as to voluntariness. Even in these cases, however, if the trial court has charged the jury on voluntariness the issue was in the case and a new hearing is indicated.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The court lias read the trial record and finds no proof contained therein that even remotely suggests that the defense has created an issue as to the voluntariness of the confession. However, as indicated above, the court in charging the jury made general reference to the law concerning the admissibility of confessions and read section 395 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in its entirety.

No strained interpretation is required to apply in this case the mandate of the Huntley ruling (supra). The court agrees with the District Attorney who has consented that the defendant-petitioner is entitled to a Jackson-Denno hearing.

In People v. Rizzi (N. Y. L. J., April 29, 1965, p. 15, col. 7) the defendant Rizzi was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life. The judgment was unanimously affirmed and leave to appeal to the Court of Appeals was denied. However, the case was remitted to the trial court under the authority of Jaclcson-Denno and People v. Huntley. The District Attorney opposed the application for a hearing and the court concluded that there was no issue of voluntariness involved and denied the motion. In the Ri.ssi case, as in the case at bar, the trial court charged the jury in general language, reading section 395 of the Code of Criminal Procedure; in denying the motion for a confession-voluntariness hearing, the court stated in People v. Rizzi (supra): “

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Bluebook (online)
46 Misc. 2d 812, 260 N.Y.S.2d 941, 1965 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1758, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-green-nysupct-1965.