People v. Kim

154 Misc. 2d 346, 585 N.Y.S.2d 310, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 261
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedMay 13, 1992
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 154 Misc. 2d 346 (People v. Kim) 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. Kim, 154 Misc. 2d 346, 585 N.Y.S.2d 310, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 261 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

John Cataldo, J.

The defendant, Anthony Kim, is charged with promoting gambling in the second degree (Penal Law § 225.05), possession of gambling records in the second degree (Penal Law § 225.15 [2]), and possession of a gambling device (Penal Law § 225.30 [2]). He now moves to dismiss the accusatory instrument for facial insufficiency and for other pretrial relief pursuant to GPL article 255.

FACIAL SUFFICIENCY

The factual portion of the accusatory instrument states, in pertinent part, that on a particular date, time and location:

"Deponent [Detective Brennan] states that * * * [he] did give to defendant a sum of US currency in exchange for a receipt for a Florida lotto ticket.
"Deponent further states that defendant had within his custody and control gambling records and a gambling device in that defendant was operating a lotto machine from which deponent did receive the abovementioned receipt and that said machine did contain numerous similar previously sold Florida lotto receipts.
"Deponent states, that based upon deponent’s training and experience, which includes training in the recognition of gambling records and the meaning of their contents, the aforementioned articles are alleged and believed to be gambling records, as specified above.
"Deponent states, that based upon deponent’s training and experience, which includes training in the recognition of gambling devices and the operation of such devices, the aforementioned articles are alleged and believed to be gambling devices, as specified above.”

[348]*348A valid and sufficient accusatory instrument is a nonwaivable, jurisdictional prerequisite to a criminal prosecution (see, People v Alejandro, 70 NY2d 133; People v Case, 42 NY2d 98). Every information must contain an accusatory part and a factual part (see, CPL 100.15 [1]). The allegations of the factual part of the information, together with those of any supporting depositions which may accompany it, must "provide reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the offense[s] charged in the accusatory part of the information” (see, CPL 100.40 [1] [b]). "Non-hearsay allegations of the factual part of the information and/or of any supporting depositions establish, if true, every element of the offense[s] charged and the defendant’s commission thereof’ (see, CPL 100.40 [1] [c]).

The accusatory instrument at bar charges the defendant with three gambling-related offenses as a result of his alleged conduct in selling a receipt for a Florida lottery ticket. This case presents a novel issue as to whether such conduct, if assumed to be true, constitutes a crime in New York.

The defendant argues in his supporting papers to the instant motion, that his conduct does not amount to illegal gambling. He admits that in response to Officer Brennan placing an order for a Florida lottery ticket, he charged the officer $2: $1 for the cost of the ticket and a $1 service charge. He then gave the officer a receipt for his purchase, but did not give him the actual lottery ticket as he does not sell or redeem such tickets. He claims that his conduct is limited to the following tasks: (1) Taking the customer’s order for an out-of-State lottery ticket which lottery is lawful in the particular sister State; (2) Keypunching the order into his computer terminal which transmits the order to a host computer located outside of New York State; (3) Tendering a receipt to the customer as proof of that order; and (4) Having the customer sign a power-of-attorney giving an independent purchasing agent in the State of actual purchase the authority to buy the requested lottery ticket and to hold it in the State of purchase until further instructed by the customer.

The defendant further asserts that if there is a winning ticket, the agent tenders the ticket to the Lottery Commission in the sister State with instructions to send the prize directly to the customer or to hold the prize or ticket for the customer to pick up. The defendant claims that neither he, as the order taker, nor the purchasing agent himself has any stake, share or interest in any prize, award or consideration associated with any lottery ticket ordered through this service.

[349]*349The case of People v Rhee (Sup Ct, Mar. 27, 1992, index No. 91-1545-01) is the only New York case which decided a similar issue to the one at bar, i.e., whether a purchasing service for out-of-State lottery tickets violates New York antigambling statutes. The court therein, relying upon the New York Constitution and the Penal Law definition of a lottery, held that such a service is illegal. This court agrees for the following reasons.

All forms of gambling are illegal in New York except those expressly authorized by the New York Constitution (see, NY Const, art I, § 9 [1]). In 1966, following the lead of New Hampshire, which approved a lottery sweepstakes which was to become effective in 1965, New York became the second State in modern America to authorize a State lottery (see, 1981 Opns Atty Gen 68). The amendment was first approved by the Legislature in 1965 and was approved for the necessary second time in 1966 (ibid.). The amendment legalizing State-run lotteries specifically states that "no lottery or the sale of lottery tickets * * * or any other kind of gambling, except lotteries operated by the state and the sale of lottery tickets in connection therewith as may be authorized and prescribed by the legislature * * * shall hereafter be authorized or allowed within this state” (see, NY Const, art I, § 9 [1]). The State Constitution further provides that the Legislature shall pass appropriate laws to prevent offenses in violation of, inter alla, the State-run lottery exception (see, NY Const, art I, § 9 [1], [2]).

The first count of the accusatory instrument charges the defendant with promoting gambling in the second degree which prohibits a person from knowingly advancing or profiting from an unlawful gambling activity (see, Penal Law § 225.05). The term "gambling” is defined in Penal Law § 225.00 (2), as follows: "A person engages in gambling when he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

A lottery can constitute a form of illegal gambling. "Lottery”, as defined in Penal Law § 225.00 (10), "means an unlawful gambling scheme in which (a) the players pay or agree to pay something of value for chances, represented and differentiated by numbers or by combinations of numbers or [350]*350by some other media, one or more of which chances are to be designated the winning ones; and (b) the winning chances are to be determined by a drawing or by some other method based upon the element of chance; and (c) the holders of the winning chances are to receive something of value.”

The Penal Law defines the term "unlawful” as "not specifically authorized by law” (see, Penal Law § 225.00 [12]). There exists an inherent problem with the Penal Law definition of "unlawful.” Specifically, it is questionable whether the phrase "authorized by law” refers to New York law or the laws of other sister States.

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11 A.D.3d 62 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2004)
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824 F. Supp. 379 (S.D. New York, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
154 Misc. 2d 346, 585 N.Y.S.2d 310, 1992 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-kim-nycrimct-1992.