People v. Linderberry

215 A.D.2d 867, 626 N.Y.S.2d 876, 1995 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5360
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided May 18, 1995·Published·Cited by 18 cases

Opinion

White, J. Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court (Monserrate, J.), rendered December 18, 1992 in Cortland County, upon a verdict convicting defendant of the crimes of murder in the second degree (two counts), rape in the first degree (two counts), kidnapping in the second degree, robbery in the first degree (two counts), burglary in the first degree (two counts), sodomy in the first degree and grand larceny in the third degree.

In this appeal defendant has mounted a multipronged challenge to his conviction following trial of the crimes of murder in the second degree (two counts), rape in the first degree (two counts), kidnapping in the second degree, robbery in the' first degree (two counts), burglary in the first degree (two counts), sodomy in the first degree and grand larceny in the third degree.

A review of the trial record shows that defendant’s conviction stems from a crime spree that commenced just after midnight on March 13, 1992 in the City of Cortland, Cortland County. At that time, defendant was lurking in the parking lot of Tops Market when he observed victim A leave the market and proceed to her car. Victim A noticed defendant approaching her and started to run back to the store; her flight ended, however, when defendant caught her, stabbed her in the stomach and dragged her back to her car, forcing [868] her into it. He then drove victim A to an isolated location where, brandishing a knife, he forced her to engage in sexual intercourse. Defendant then drove victim A, lying wounded and bleeding in the back seat, to the Cortland residence of his ex-wife, victim B, telling victim A he wanted to kill victim B.

Leaving victim A in the car, defendant broke down the door of victim B’s residence and entered her apartment where he found her lying on the floor watching television. An eyewitness related that defendant stabbed victim B three times before fleeing and, before she died, victim B told a police officer that "Oscar had done it”.

After leaving victim B’s residence defendant returned to the car, telling victim A, "I hope I killed her.” He then drove with victim A to an isolated area outside of Cortland where he forced her to engage in vaginal and anal intercourse, telling her "he wasn’t going to have sex for a long time [because] he was going to prison for murder”. Around sunrise of March 13, 1992, defendant let victim A out in the City of Ithaca, Tompkins County, and abandoned her car.

In Ithaca, defendant purchased a knife and abducted victim C, taking her car and forcing her to accompany him as he attempted to flee to Pennsylvania. During the flight, he told victim C that he had killed his ex-wife and had stabbed victim A when she resisted his demand for her car. Defendant’s flight ended around 12:45 p.m. in the Village of Endicott, Broome County, when he was apprehended by the police. He was immediately transported to a State Police substation where he gave the police an incriminating written statement.

Defendant’s first challenge is that the People, prior to a Huntley hearing, failed to provide him with Rosario material, specifically certain notes compiled by a Cortland police investigator. This challenge lacks substance because the People were not required to turn over the notes as the investigator was not a prosecution witness and, further, defendant made no request for them (see, People v Love, 187 AD2d 1030, Iv denied 81 NY2d 888; People v Duprey, 174 AD2d 835, 836, Iv denied 79 NY2d 856; see also, CPL 240.44).

Likewise, we find defendant’s claim that his confession was the product of psychological coercion to be without substance. Prior to his interrogation, defendant was given his Miranda rights which he knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived as evidenced by his written waiver. He was also provided with coffee and cigarettes. The interrogation commenced around 2:25 p.m. and ended at 3:47 p.m., during which [869] time the two officers present testified that defendant did not display any evidence of intoxication nor did he appear to be tired or have any difficulty in understanding the questions posed to him. Considering the totality of these circumstances, we concur with County Court’s determination* that defendant’s confession was voluntary as it is evident that his will was not overborne nor his statement coerced (see, People v Richardson, 202 AD2d 958, Iv denied 83 NY2d 914; People v Jackson, 178 AD2d 851, 852, Iv denied 79 NY2d 1002).

Before testifying at the Huntley hearing, County Court advised defendant that he would be giving up his right to remain silent if he testified and, subject to certain limitations, any statement he made could be used against him later. Defendant now claims that this advice was erroneous and prejudicially affected him since he elected not to testify at trial.

Although defendant’s Huntley hearing testimony could not have been admitted at trial as evidence-in-chief (see, People v Rodriguez, 69 NY2d 159, 164), County Court’s advice was not erroneous because the prosecutor could have used such testimony for impeachment purposes (see, People v Mahone, 206 AD2d 263, 264, Iv denied 84 NY2d 869). Hence, defendant’s argument is meritless.

Defendant next challenges County Court’s determination that a witness’s photographic identification of him was not suggestive. At a Wade hearing, the witness testified that on the evening of March 12, 1992 he was with defendant for more than an hour which gave him a good opportunity to observe him. He further testified that when he subsequently went to the police station he was given written information regarding the photo array and then proceeded to view it and identify defendant.

Inasmuch as this proof shows that the police conduct was reasonable, and as our examination of the array reveals that the photographs were comparable, County Court, in the absence of proof from defendant proving that the procedure was unduly suggestive, correctly refused to suppress this witness’s in-court identification of defendant (see, People v Chipp, 75 NY2d 327, 335, cert denied 498 US 833; People v Gipson, 194 AD2d 847, 848). In any event, the People established by clear and convincing evidence that this witness had an independent [870] source for his in-court identification of defendant (see, People v Rahming, 26 NY2d 411, 417).

Our next inquiry is whether Supreme Court improperly admitted evidence of uncharged crimes. It is well established that where evidence of an uncharged crime contains more probative value than risk of prejudice to the defendant, the evidence is admissible (see, People v Chase, 85 NY2d 493). In our view victim C’s testimony and evidence that defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint filed by victim B, which placed his continued release on parole in jeopardy, was relevant to prove defendant’s motive and intent. Accordingly, since the probative value of this evidence outweighed the danger of prejudice to defendant, its admission was proper (see, People v Gutkaiss, 206 AD2d 584, 585, Iv denied 84 NY2d 936, 1032).

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People v. Linderberry, 215 A.D.2d 867, 626 N.Y.S.2d 876, 1995 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5360 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1995).

215 A.D.2d 867 (People v. Linderberry) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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