People v. Leonard

59 A.D.2d 1, 397 N.Y.S.2d 386, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12441
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided July 18, 1977·Published·Cited by 64 cases

Opinion

Margett, J.

This case arises out of a tragic fire which took the lives of 24 people when a discotheque in Port Chester was destroyed on the night of June 29-30, 1974. The discotheque, Gulliver’s, was located in a building complex situated on the Connecticut-New York border. It was adjoined by a bowling alley, Carol Lanes.

On Sunday, June 30, Detective Sergeant Ambrose of the Greenwich, Connecticut Police Department was assigned to investigate the fire. Two days later, on July 2, 1974, Detective Solomon of the Connecticut State’s Attorney’s office was also assigned to the investigation. The next afternoon, July 3, Detective Ambrose contacted the defendant and asked him to come to police headquarters.1 Defendant did so and was advised that Detective Ambrose was investigating an attempted burglary of a Homelite store. The store was located about 100 feet from the Gulliver’s complex and was separated from it by a parking lot. The attempted burglary had been discovered on the night of the fire.

Detective Ambrose told defendant that he had been seen running from the Homelite store into Carol Lanes. During the course of their conversation, defendant admitted that he tried to break into the Homelite building at 10:15 p.m. on the night [3]*3in question. He admitted to breaking a window and a glass door, but said he got scared, left, and entered the bowling alleys. The confession was reduced to writing and signed by defendant at 6:06 p.m. However, defendant was not placed under arrest. He was told instead that Detective Ambrose would make application to the court for his arrest and would call him when he received the arrest papers. According to Detective Ambrose, defendant could have been placed under arrest at that time.

On the following Monday, July 8, Ambrose contacted defendant at the request of Detective Solomon and asked defendant to again appear at Greenwich police headquarters the next day. Also on Monday, July 8, Detective Solomon made arrangements to use a State’s Attorney’s office in Bridgeport on July 11 so that he and the other detectives could "talk” to the defendant.2

On Tuesday, July 9, defendant appeared at Greenwich police headquarters at 9:00 a.m. Ambrose and Solomon spoke with defendant for about two hours; Solomon advised defendant that he was investigating both the Homelite "burglary” and the fire. Defendant again admitted trying to break into the Homelite building and stated that when he was unable to enter, he ran to the bowling alley and knocked on the side door. Two acquaintances who worked there let him in so that he could use the men’s room. He did so and went back outside after three or four minutes. This statement was reduced to writing at about 12:00 noon. Defendant was again permitted to leave, but before he did Detective Solomon asked him whether he would be willing to submit to a polygraph examination regarding the statement he had just given. Defendant stated that he would be willing and Solomon said he "would try to arrange one in the very near future to try to clear all this up.”

The following afternoon, between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., Ambrose and Solomon advised defendant that arrangements had been made for him to take the test the next morning at the State Police Barracks in Bethany, Connecticut. Detective Solomon had, in fact, made arrangements for the test; had notified [4]*4the examiner that the testing was to be with regard to the Gulliver’s fire; and had participated in framing some of the questions to be asked. Defendant stated that he had no way of getting to Bethany and Ambrose offered to transport him. Defendant was also told that Detective Solomon and Detective Lovallo, of the Port Chester Police Department, would accompany him.

The next morning (July 11, 1974), at 7:00 a.m., Detective Ambrose met defendant in front of his house. According to Ambrose, defendant was “very excited” and "upset” as a result of a fight he had just had with his mother over a $5 parking ticket. He had forgotten to pay the ticket and as a result the fine had been increased to $25. Ambrose asked defendant whether he still wanted to take the polygraph examination and received an affirmative answer. Ambrose then asked defendant if he had eaten breakfast and, when he received a negative answer, he offered to stop for breakfast after picking up Detective Lovallo. Defendant declined, stating that he wanted to “get it over with.”

Lovallo was picked up at the Port Chester Police Department and subsequently Solomon was met in Bridgeport. The three detectives and defendant then proceeded to Bethany, a distance of approximately 30 miles from Bridgeport and 60 miles from defendant’s home near Greenwich. Upon arrival in Bethany at about 8:50 a.m. Detectives Ambrose and Solomon conferred for about one hour with Sergeant Dewey, the polygraph examiner. During this period of time, Detective Lovallo remained with defendant.

At about 9:50 a.m. defendant was introduced to Sergeant Dewey, who interviewed him prior to the commencement of the polygraph examination. The detectives who had accompanied defendant were able to listen to this interview in another room and, in fact, Detective Solomon did so. Sergeant Dewey told defendant that he wanted to help him; that the polygraph is a recording instrument that records emotional changes “inside” a person, and something to the effect that it "could read his insides and tell whether he was truthful or not”; and he "may have” indicated his confidence in the accuracy of the polygraph machine. Dewey ascertained that defendant was 22 years of age; that he had consumed two six-packs of beer the night before; that he had gone to bed at 3:00 a.m. and arisen at 6:00 a.m.; that he had been treated by a psychiatrist five years previously on four occasions; that he had gone as far as [5]*5the 10th grade; and that he had taken LSD one month prior to the test. The defendant also told Dewey that he was tired and that he had a headache.

Following these preliminaries which took 30 to 40 minutes, defendant was taken to the polygraph testing room for the actual examination. This room was not only wired for sound, but contained a one-way mirror through which defendant could be visually observed; Detective Solomon did so. Defendant was questioned as to his whereabouts on the evening of June 29 and the early morning hours of June 30. Upon completion of the series of questions, Dewey wanted to run through them again but defendant asked that the testing be stopped, saying that he did not feel up to continuing with the test. At some point thereafter he stated that he felt ill.

Defendant’s wishes were complied with, but, before leaving, Dewey advised the detectives that in his opinion defendant was lying. As defendant was signing out, Dewey indicated to him that he did not believe he had been truthful. Dewey further stated to defendant that he had enough polygraph charts to know that either defendant "did it” or knew who did it—referring to the "break into the Carol Lanes and the fire that ensued.” Defendant responded "Yeah, you’re right.” Thereupon Dewey asked him who did it and got no answer. Dewey posed the question a second time and got a denial.

At about 11:00 a.m. defendant and the detectives departed Bethany. Either at the time they entered the car or on the way to the car, Detective Solomon told defendant that from what Dewey had seen, it appeared that defendant had been lying. Detective Solomon testified this was "discussed” in the car.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

People v. Leonard, 59 A.D.2d 1, 397 N.Y.S.2d 386, 1977 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 12441 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1977).

59 A.D.2d 1 (People v. Leonard) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

GRISTWOOD, DANIEL G. v. STATE OF NEW YORK
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2014
Gristwood v. State
119 A.D.3d 1414 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2014)
People v. Carnevale
101 A.D.3d 1375 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2012)
State v. Lavoie
2010 ME 76 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2010)
People v. Passino
53 A.D.3d 204 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
People v. Cyrus
48 A.D.3d 150 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2007)
People v. Kogut
10 Misc. 3d 245 (New York Supreme Court, 2005)
People v. Seda
289 A.D.2d 422 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2001)
Smith v. State
797 So. 2d 503 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2000)
People v. Henson
263 A.D.2d 550 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1999)
People v. Kourani
256 A.D.2d 620 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1998)
People v. Marshall
244 A.D.2d 508 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
People v. Sakadinsky
239 A.D.2d 443 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
People v. Sobchik
228 A.D.2d 800 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1996)
People v. Webb
224 A.D.2d 464 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1996)
People v. Williams
216 A.D.2d 342 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1995)
People v. Scott
212 A.D.2d 1047 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1995)
People v. Benedict
202 A.D.2d 758 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1994)
People v. Deskovic
201 A.D.2d 579 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1994)
People v. Crumwell
199 A.D.2d 406 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1993)