People v. Jorge

172 Misc. 2d 795, 660 N.Y.S.2d 257, 1997 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 205
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 24, 1997
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 172 Misc. 2d 795 (People v. Jorge) 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. Jorge, 172 Misc. 2d 795, 660 N.Y.S.2d 257, 1997 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 205 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Richard Lee Price, J.

On October 8, 1996, defendant, Pablo Brea and Norberto Peets were arraigned on a felony complaint charging them with attempted murder in the first and second degrees, attempted robbery in the first degree and other related charges with respect to an incident that occurred on September 29, 1996 (hereinafter the September attempted murder). The facts in support of the charges in the felony complaint were based upon information from Miguel Ramos that on September 29, 1996, he himself placed $20 on top of the counter (of a fried chicken store), that one of the three codefendants grabbed the money and all three ran out. When Ramos and his two companions chased the defendants, defendant Peets fired shots at Ramos and one of his companions and defendant Brea pistol-whipped his other companion. Defendant Peets also fired shots at police officers who responded to the scene.

At the same time the three defendants were also arraigned on charges that they attempted to rob a Kentucky Fried Chicken store at gunpoint on October 6, 1996, after pushing their way into the store (hereinafter the October attempted [797]*797robbery). The People served a CPL 190.50 notice saying that if the defendants wish to testify they may do so on October 11, 1996. All defendants indicated that they would testify before the Grand Jury as to both matters and defendant served a written CPL 190.50 notice to that effect.

Defendant then moved before the Arraignment Court that the People be required to present these incidents before two separate Grand Juries asserting that these incidents occurred at separate locations, have separate complaining witnesses and have dissimilar alleged facts and that defendant may have distinct testimony and different witnesses, evidence and defenses as to each. He asserted that he would be heavily prejudiced if the same Grand Jury panel heard both of these incidents when trying to present different defenses. Codefendants joined in this application and the People opposed it. The Arraignment Court stated the following: "I am not going to rule on this application. It’s been noted. Counsel’s request is noted by the People. Just make a note to whoever is actually presenting the case to the [szc] contact both counsel should they decide to present it to the same Panel.” (Transcript of Oct. 8, 1996, at 14.)

On October 10, 1996, Miguel Ramos and his two companions testified with respect to the September attempted murder before the D Panel of the Grand Jury. Their testimony before the Grand Jury was notably different from the facts in the felony complaint. Ramos testified in the Grand Jury that on September 29, 1996 he was in the Sombrero bar with his two companions. He exited the bar to say goodbye to his companions (who had apparently stepped outside) and go home, when he saw two black men fighting with two Hispanic men in front of a hardware store. They were punching one another and one of the Hispanic men was hitting one of the black men with a bat. Then two black men came down from the train station and one started shooting. At one point, when Ramos began to say something about the black guys first having robbed some money from the Hispanic guy first, the prosecutor asked the witness to confine his testimony to what he saw. The remainder of his testimony was consistent with the remaining facts in the felony complaint and his companions’ testimony in the Grand Jury was consistent with his testimony.

On the morning of October 11, 1996, a civilian witness testified before the same panel of the Grand Jury with respect to the October attempted robbery. That same morning, the prosecutor spoke to defense counsel and informed him that [798]*798both cases were presented to the same panel because both stemmed from attempted robberies of chicken stores. She went on to tell defense counsel that she was not going to vote any charges against the defendant on the September attempted murder only because the complainants pertaining to that charge did not appear for the Grand Jury. Later that day, before Judge Robert Torres, the People indicated that the cases had been partially presented to the D Panel of the Grand Jury and that they were in a position to vote felony charges as to each defendant on each case. All defendants waived CPL 180.80 to October 17, 1996, and the case was adjourned to that date. Defendant moved to have the bail reduced on the September attempted murder from $7,500 to $1. The basis of the application was the People’s stated intention not to vote charges with respect to the September attempted murder as to the defendant. According to the People, their witnesses established that the defendant was present at the September attempted murder, however, they did not establish anything more than his mere presence at the scene. Although the People had no intention of dismissing the charges stemming from the September attempted murder, they did not object to the reduction of bail to $1. All defendants were served with a CPL 190.50 notice for October 17, 1996.

On October 17, 1996, before Judge Torres, the People indicated that the case was fully presented to the D Panel of the Grand Jury and indicated that the defendants could testify before the Grand Jury at noon. Both codefendants indicated that they would testify. Defense counsel indicated to the court that he had asked the People to give the defendant a restricted waiver of immunity as to the October attempted robbery. Defendant argued that it would be unfair to require him to waive immunity as to the September attempted murder. Defendant asserted that the People are required to make a fair presentation, and that he should not be punished for wanting to testify as to one matter and not the other. Defendant expressed his well-founded concern that if he testified as to the October attempted robbery, he would not have immunity as to the September attempted murder. A Grand Jury hearing testimony that defendant was present on that September day with the same codefendants as on the October attempted robbery, were likely to ask him about the September attempted murder, and he would be obligated to answer. As such, the prosecution had put him in an unfair situation where if he did testify before the Grand Jury, he would be subjected to questioning regard[799]*799ing the attempted murder of a police officer (a more serious crime) on which he would otherwise not be indicted, or, in the alternative, give up his right to testify in the Grand Jury altogether. The People refused to grant the defendant a limited waiver of immunity because they suspected that he was involved in the September attempted murder and they did not want to open up the possibility that he could go into the Grand Jury and immunize himself from prosecution with respect to that incident. Accordingly, defendant elected not to testify before the Grand Jury stating that his sole reason was the People’s refusal to grant him a limited waiver of immunity.

Defendant did not testify before the Grand Jury and thereafter brought this motion to dismiss the indictment pursuant to CPL 190.50 (c); 210.20 (1) (c) and 210.35 (4).

Conclusions of Law

I. Joinder

Joinder of offenses is governed by CPL 200.20 which permits joinder when offenses "are defined by the same or similar statutory provisions and consequently are the same or similar in law” (CPL 200.20 [2] [c]). The People assert that because both cases involved attempted robberies of chicken stores, the cases are properly joined.

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Related

People v. Alston
71 A.D.3d 684 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2010)
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196 Misc. 2d 272 (New York County Courts, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
172 Misc. 2d 795, 660 N.Y.S.2d 257, 1997 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 205, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jorge-nysupct-1997.