People v. Johnson

62 A.D.2d 555, 405 N.Y.S.2d 538, 1978 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10878
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided June 2, 1978·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Moule, J.

At approximately 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 29, 1975, complainant was robbed, raped, and twice sodomized at gunpoint in a stairwell of the Ellicott-Goodrich parking ramp in the vicinity of the Buffalo General Hospital. The attack on complainant lasted for 10 minutes, during which she had an opportunity to view her assailant under good lighting conditions. In the course of events, complainant was directed to produce her driver’s license by the assailant, who squinted noticeably while he examined it. Immediately after the attacker fled, complainant reported the incident to a security guard at the hospital, giving him a brief description of her assailant as a Black male, six feet to six feet two inches in height, of a thin build, wearing a goatee, and dressed in a navy blue or black middy coat.

The following Monday, December 1, 1975, complainant gave a statement to the Buffalo police in which she described the man who attacked her as about 29-30 years of age, having broad shoulders with a slender build, big hands with long fingers, and as presenting a retarded expression in that his lip seemed to droop. The assailant’s clothing was described to police as dark navy green plaid slacks, an olive green T-shirt with a blue check flannel shirt over it, a dark knee-length coat with a silky lining and a navy blue knit cap.

Two days later, on December 3, 1975, the police conducted [558]*558two lineups in which defendant was included.1 Complainant identified defendant as her assailant in both lineups, as a result of which he was arrested and subsequently charged with one count each of robbery and rape and two counts of sodomy. At trial,2 complainant again identified defendant as her assailant. The record shows that defendant was 25 years old at the time of the crime and that he was six feet tall and of slim build. Moreover, defendant’s optometrist testified that defendant’s vision was highly myopic, so that upon reading the printed matter on a driver’s license without glasses, defendant would involuntarily squint. Defendant claimed that complainant was mistaken in her identification and presented an alibi defense, taking the stand in his own behalf. The jury weighed the conflicting testimony and returned a verdict of guilty on each of the counts.

Defendant first contends that the court improperly excluded the testimony of the 23-year-old woman who had been robbed and raped on Friday, November 28, 1975, the day before complainant was attacked. Defendant claims that he should have been permitted to show through this woman the details of the attack made upon her in a parking garage located underneath a downtown Buffalo shopping mall; the description of her attacker; that she was responsible for the construction of the composite picture resembling defendant which appeared in local newpapers over the Thanksgiving weekend; that she observed defendant at one of the lineups held on December 3, 1975; and that defendant was not the person who attacked her. The trial court ruled that this testimony was irrelevant. It was within the discretion of the court to determine the relevance of this offer of proof (People v Warner, 52 AD2d 684) and we hold that the court’s discretion was properly exercised.

[559]*559 For evidence to be relevant, it must tend to convince that the fact sought to be established is so (People v Yazum, 13 NY2d 302, 304). The factual issue at trial was the identity of the man who robbed, raped and sodomized complainant. Testimony of another victim concerning another robbery and rape committed in a different manner at another location, and on a different date, that defendant was not the man who attacked her, had no probative value in determining whether defendant robbed, raped and sodomized complainant in this case. Consequently, the proffered testimony was irrelevant.

Furthermore, although the proffered testimony was relevant to disprove defendant’s identity as a robber and rapist on a different occasion, that identification was neither in issue at this trial nor probative of a fact in issue. Accordingly, it was immaterial (see Richardson, Evidence [10th ed], § 4). There was no proof that the same man was responsible for the sexual attack on complainant and the prior rape of the woman whose testimony was sought to be introduced; there was only speculation by police based upon similarity of descriptions given by the victims, use of a gun in each instance and the occurrence of both incidents in parking facilities. These circumstances are not sufficiently unique to provide a basis for admitting collateral testimony concerning a prior rape.

The prosecution introduced neither the composite photograph constructed by the victim of the attack occurring on the day before the incident involving complainant, nor any evidence concerning the identity of the perpetrator of that crime. Lacking such proof, there is no basis at all for admitting the testimony of the victim of the earlier crime. To admit the testimony of a victim of a separate attack regarding the circumstances under which it took place and the description of the perpetrator of that uncharged crime would create a shattering precedent. As a result, Trial Judges would be required to consider whether circumstances surrounding crimes similar to that for which a defendant is being tried are such that the victim of the other crime may be called as a witness by a defendant. The dissent offers no authority for establishing such requirement and we see no reason to create one.

Defendant contends secondly that misconduct on the part of the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Albert M. Ranni, requires the granting of a new trial.

This court is ever mindful of the right of every person [560]*560accused of crime to have a fair and impartial trial before an unbiased court and an unprejudiced jury (People v De Jesus, 42 NY2d 519, 523 People v Crimmins, 36 NY2d 230, 238). This right is to be accorded in surroundings where the accused and the prosecution enjoy the unfettered attention of the jury, to the end that the resulting verdict will be the product solely of evidence adduced on the witness stand (People v De Jesus, supra, p 523). Although every trial may not be impeccably conducted and free of some error, trials should not be tolerated where unadulterated unfairness and deceit have become the rule (People v Alicea, 37 NY2d 601, 605).

While we must express our concern with the misconduct of Mr. Ranni throughout the course of the trial, nevertheless, we cannot say that his conduct so impaired the development of the factual issues and the presentation of testimony as to jeopardize the fairness of the trial (People v Alicea, supra, p 603).

The record shows that complainant’s identification of defendant as her assailant was positive, both at two lineups and at trial. Despite a lengthy cross-examination, her testimony, including the description of the rape and her forced involvement in oral and anal sodomy, was unequivocal. In addition, defendant admitted being alone in the parking ramp where complainant was raped at about the time the attack took place. The Community Mental Health Center, at which defendant was employed, is located across the street from the ramp. Defendant testified that he entered the ramp only briefly to get his car in order to pick up a female co-worker for lunch.

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People v. Johnson, 62 A.D.2d 555, 405 N.Y.S.2d 538, 1978 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10878 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1978).

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