People v. Levy

34 N.Y. Crim. 29, 169 A.D. 571
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 5, 1915
StatusPublished

This text of 34 N.Y. Crim. 29 (People v. Levy) 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. Levy, 34 N.Y. Crim. 29, 169 A.D. 571 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1915).

Opinion

Scott, J.:

Jacob Levy was arrested by a railroad policeman at the Grand Central Station in the city of New York, and was arraigned before a city magistrate charged with disorderly conduct and an attempt at pocket picking. He applied for an adjournment and one Henry Knoch became his surety, depositing $1,000 in cash as bail. On the adjourned day Levy applied for a further adjournment which the magistrate granted only until two o’clock of the same day. At that time Levy failed to appear, his bail was forfeited and a judgment entered, whereupon the chamberlain with whom the bail had 'been deposited turned it over to the comptroller in satisfaction of the judgment. Some days later Levy surrendered himself in the Magistrate’s Court. The officer who had made the complaint opportunely appeared in court at the same time, although it does not appear that he had been subpoenaed by the People, and on being called so modified his testimony against Levy that the magistrate felt bound to discharge him, not, however, without significant warning to keep away from the Grand Central Station on football days.

Thereupon an application was made to a justice of the Supreme Court on behalf of Knoch that the judgment of forfeiture be vacated and the comptroller ordered to return the cash applied to the satisfaction of the judgment. On the first application the justice denied the motion unless the district attorney should certify that the People had lost no rights .by [31]*31reason of the forfeiture. The district attorney refused to make such a certificate whereupon the application was again made to the same justice, who unconditionally granted the motion by the order now appealed from.

The respondent, of course, relies on the often cited case of Matter of Sayles (84 App. Div. 210), which is relied on as holding that, under section 1482 of the Consolidation Act (Laws of 1882, chap. 410), the procurement and presentation to the court of the certificate of the district attorney that the People have lost no rights by reason of the failure of a surety to produce his principal, is not a condition precedent to the right of a surety to have the judgment vacated and the forfeiture remitted, but was a mere provision relating to evidence. In point of fact the case cited is not an authority for the doctrine attributed to it, which was not necessary to the decision and merely expressed the opinion of the learned justice who wrote.

Whether that dictum should be followed will be determined when the necessity for considering the question arises. For the present it is sufficient to lay down these rules: First, that in the absence of such a certificate the applicant must affirmatively show that the People, in fact, lost nothing by the surety’s failure to produce his principal; second, that the mere fact that after a fugitive is captured or surrenders, he is acquitted upon trial does not of itself prove that the People lost nothing; thirdj that after a judgment has been collected, or cash bail has been paid over to the comptroller in satisfaction of the judgment and mingled with the city’s funds, it cannot be summarily ordered to be paid back. This is really what was decided in the Sayles case.

In the present case it by no means satisfactorily appears that the People lost nothing by Levy’s absconding. On the contrary, there is strong ground for the suspicion that his absence may have had much to do with the amelioration of the testi[32]*32mony of the complaining witness. The order appealed from is reversed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements, and the motion denied, with ten dollars costs.

Ingraham, P. J., Laughlin, Clarke and Dowling, JJ., concurred.

Order reversed, with ten dollars costs and disbursements, and motion denied, with ten dollars costs.

NOTE ON BAIL.

Right to Admission to Bail.

Admission to bail in case of a felony is not a matter of right, but rests in the discretion of the court; bail will be refused where the defendant in addition to a plea of not guilty, has interposed a plea of present insanity. People v. Watson, 14 Misc. 430; s. c. 35 N. Y. Supp. 852.

The denial of a defendant’s privilege to give bail before a magistrate in the county of his arrest, does not affect the validity of his subsequent trial and conviction. People v. Eberspacher, 79 Hun, 410; S. C. 61 St. Rep. 501.

In a capital case, a prisoner committed by a regular inquisition of a coroner’s jury, will not be admitted to bail, it appearing that there was probable cause for charging him with the crime. People v. Collins, 20 How. Pr. 111; s. c. 11 Abb. Pr. 406.

It is not a matter of course, to bail a prisoner committed on a charge of felony, above the degree of petit larceny; some cause must be shown. Goodwin’s Case, 5 C. H. Rec. 11; People v. Van Horne, 8 Barb. 158; People v. Restell, 3 How. Pr. 251.

In cases of felony, bail is not a matter of right; after indictment found, the court will not look into the depositions taken before the committing magistrate. People v. Dixon, 4 Park. 651; s. c. 3 Abb. Pr. 395.

[33]*33Where the prisoner is found in the actual possession of stolen goods, he will not be admitted to bail. People v. Ferris, 1 Wh. Cr. 19.

Though a crime for which a prisoner is arrested, be denominated murder in the warrant, yet, if the facts show a case of manslaughter only, he may be admitted to bail. People v. Sheriff of Westchester, 1 Park. 659; s. c. 10 N. Y. Leg. Obs. 298; People v. Porter, 8 Barb. 168n.

Even in capital cases, the accused is entitled to be bailed, unless the proof be evident, or the presumption great; that the prisoner has been twice tried, and that the jury, on both occasions, have failed to agree, presents a proper case for admitting to bail. People v. Perry, 8 Abb. Pr. (N. S.) 27; People v. Van Horne, 8 Barb. 158; People v. Hyler, 2 Park. 570; People v. Cole, 6 Park. 695; s. c. 4 Abb. Pr. (N. S.) 280.

On a question of admitting to bail on a charge of homicide, the court will look into the examination taken before the coroner. People v. Beigler, 3 Park. 316.

In a capital case, the prisoner may be admitted to bail, even after indictment found, if the testimony before the grand jury were not sufficient to make out a prima facie case of guilt. People v. Baker, 10 How. Pr. 567.

Where the committing magistrate and the court of sessions, in which the indictment is pending, have refused to admit the prisoner to bail, he cannot be bailed by a judge of the supreme court, at chambers; as to such judge, it is res adjudicata. People v. Cunningham, 3 Park. 531; reversing S. c. People v. Cunningham, 3 Park. 520.

A defendant may, after conviction, be admitted to bail, to await sentence. McNeil’s Case, Col & Caines, 175; s. c. 1 Caines, 72.

A prisoner may be let to bail, even after a conviction, pending a writ of error, if there be a doubt as to the guilt, and the judge be satisfied that bail will secure the appearance of the defendant; but both must concur. People v. Lohman, 2 Barb. 450; People v. Folmsbee, 60 Barb. 480.

Section 2060 of the Code of Civil Procedure, that a prisoner who stands charged upon a criminal accusation, with a bailable offence, upon perfecting his appeal, is entitled, as matter of right, to be admitted to bail, does not apply to one who has been convicted. People v. Bauman, 3 N. Y. Crim. 454.

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34 N.Y. Crim. 29, 169 A.D. 571, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-levy-nysupct-1915.