People v. Jones

25 Misc. 3d 995
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedSeptember 16, 2009
StatusPublished

This text of 25 Misc. 3d 995 (People v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Criminal Court of the City 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. Jones, 25 Misc. 3d 995 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

[996]*996OPINION OF THE COURT

Michael J. Yavinsky, J.

The defendant is charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and unlawful possession of marihuana.

Defendant, in an omnibus motion, seeks: (1) dismissal of the count of endangering the welfare of a child for facial insufficiency, (2) a MappIDunaway hearing, (3) a Dunaway ¡Huntley hearing, (4) an order precluding statement and identification evidence, (5) an order to compel a bill of particulars and discovery, (6) a Sandoval hearing, and (7) reservation of rights.

The defendant’s omnibus motion is decided as follows:

Dismissal for Facial Insufficiency

The defendant moves to dismiss the count of endangering the welfare of a child for facial insufficiency pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law § 170.30 (1) (a) and § 170.35. For the reasons stated herein, the defendant’s motion is denied.

Section 100.40 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Law states that an information is sufficient on its face when it substantially conforms with the requirements of CPL 100.15, when the allegations provide reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the offense charged, and when the nonhearsay allegations establish, if true, every element of the offense charged and the defendant’s commission thereof. “So long as the factual allegations of an information give an accused notice sufficient to prepare a defense and are adequately detailed to prevent a defendant from being tried twice for the same offense, they should be given a fair and not overly restrictive or technical reading.” (People v Casey, 95 NY2d 354, 360 [2000]; People v Kalin, 12 NY3d 225 [2009].) While this “prima facie case requirement is not the same as the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt required at trial” (see People v Henderson, 92 NY2d 677, 680 [1999]), the failure to satisfy the requirements of CPL 100.40 (1) (c) creates a jurisdictional defect to the criminal action. (People v Alejandro, 70 NY2d 133, 137 [1987]; Kalin, 12 NY3d 225 [2009].)

When analyzing the factual allegations of an information, and whether or not those allegations provide reasonable cause to believe the defendant committed the charged offense, it is important to refer to the definition of reasonable cause that the

[997]*997Legislature has provided us in Criminal Procedure Law § 70.10

(2):

“ ‘Reasonable cause to believe that a person has committed an offense’ exists when evidence or information which appears reliable discloses facts or circumstances which are collectively of such weight and persuasiveness as to convince a person of ordinary intelligence, judgment and experience that it is reasonably likely that such offense was committed and that such person committed it.”

The factual portion of the instant accusatory instrument provides, in relevant part, that on March 17, 2009 at approximately 8:30 p.m. inside 430 West 125th Street, apartment 14B, in New York County:

“Deponent [Detective John Borst] states that deponent recovered three small Ziploc bags of marijuana from a room inside the above location and that defendant stated in substance to deponent in reference to said room THIS IS MY BEDROOM, THIS IS WHERE I SLEEP . . .
“Deponent further states that deponent also recovered one clear bag of crack/cocaine from the above mentioned room. . . .
“Deponent further states that the above described offenses occurred in the presence of a child that appeared to be seven years old, approximately 45 inches tall, and approximately 60 pounds. Deponent further states that defendant stated in substance to deponent in reference to said child: THAT’S MY KID.”

A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when he or she “knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than seventeen years old.” (Penal Law § 260.10 [1].)

The defendant, citing People v Grajales (179 Misc 2d 793 [Crim Ct, Bronx County 1999]) and People v Hidad (15 Misc 3d 1117[A], 2007 NY Slip Op 50734[U] [Crim Ct, NY County 2007]), claims that the accusatory instrument is insufficient because it alleges only that the child in this case was present in the same apartment where cocaine and marihuana were found without alleging any additional aggravating facts. This court does not agree.

In Grajales, the court dismissed an accusatory instrument as facially insufficient where, as here, marihuana was found in an [998]*998apartment where young children were present. (179 Misc 2d at 794.) The court noted the absence of “a more direct nexus between the marihuana and likely harm to the children.” (Id. at 797.) In Hidad, the court found the allegation that an infant child was in the defendant’s custody at the time when the defendant was a party to a drug transaction insufficient because there was no allegation of a dangerous action directed at the child. (15 Misc 3d 1117[A], 2007 NY Slip Op 50734[U], *1, 3.)

This court is unpersuaded by either of the cases cited by the defendant. At the outset, this court notes that, as long as the defendant knowingly acts in a manner that is likely to result in physical, mental, or moral harm to the child, it is of no moment that the harmful conduct was not actually directed at the child. (See People v Johnson, 95 NY2d 368, 373 [2000].) Additionally, courts have found allegations sufficient to support a charge of endangering the welfare of a child even absent allegations that the defendant’s conduct placed a child in physical danger. (See People v Simmons, 92 NY2d 829, 830 [1998] [teacher yelling “mocking and vulgar” remarks at a child over a six-week period]; People v Simpkins, 284 AD2d 185 [1st Dept 2001] [defendant who provided beer to a child]; People v Cruz, 152 Misc 2d 436 [Crim Ct, NY County 1991] [defendant who drove while intoxicated with his child in the car].)

The sufficiency analysis centers on whether the allegations, if true, provide reasonable cause to believe that the defendant knowingly acted in a manner that is likely to result in moral harm to the child in question. The defendant in the instant matter is alleged to have kept cocaine and marihuana in the bedroom of his apartment. At the same time that the police found the marihuana and cocaine, they observed a child of approximately seven years of age present. The contraband is alleged to be located in the same room as the child in question, and such occurrence took place at the same time that the child in question was present. There is nothing in the allegations which would lead one to conclude anything other than the alleged contraband was in that room for anyone to see. Certainly the officer in question was able to openly observe the contraband inside this room, and there is nothing in the allegations from which one could reasonably conclude that the child in question was not also free to observe these allegedly illegal substances. When a child of an impressionable age, who is capable of absorbing all of his or her surroundings, is in the presence of such substances, there is a real likelihood that he or she will come to [999]

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Related

Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
People v. Casey
740 N.E.2d 233 (New York Court of Appeals, 2000)
People v. Johnson
740 N.E.2d 1075 (New York Court of Appeals, 2000)
People v. Henderson
708 N.E.2d 165 (New York Court of Appeals, 1999)
People v. Kalin
906 N.E.2d 381 (New York Court of Appeals, 2009)
People v. Alejandro
511 N.E.2d 71 (New York Court of Appeals, 1987)
People v. Cruz
152 Misc. 2d 436 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 1991)
People v. Grajales
179 Misc. 2d 793 (Criminal Court of the City of New York, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
25 Misc. 3d 995, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jones-nycrimct-2009.