People v. Linick

105 Misc. 2d 942, 430 N.Y.S.2d 495, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2599
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 23, 1980
StatusPublished

This text of 105 Misc. 2d 942 (People v. Linick) 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. Linick, 105 Misc. 2d 942, 430 N.Y.S.2d 495, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2599 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Milton L. Williams, J.

Defendant and several corporations with which he was closely involved were the subjects of an investigation conducted by the New York State Attorney-General pursuant to powers granted them by the Martin Act (General Business Law, art 23-A). The Martin Act is the New York State legislation which proscribes fraudulent practices with respect to securities; it gives the State Attorney-General powers of subpoena, to invoke criminal and civil sanctions and to grant immunity in investigatory proceedings pursuant to the act, among others.

During the course of this investigation, defendant was subpoenaed personally, allegedly along with some of his personal records, as well as the books and records of the several corporations and businesses with which he was associated. The subpoenas summoned defendant to appear at the Attorney-General’s office for proceedings before a Special Deputy Attorney-General. Defendant appeared on four occasions: February 23, 1979, March 13, 1979, April [945]*94525,1979, and June 6,1979. The last three dates he appeared with counsel.

The information elicited at these proceedings was submitted to a New York County Grand Jury, after which was filed a 13-count indictment charging defendant with one count each of scheme to defraud in the first degree; perjury in the first degree; and grand larceny in the second degree. The remaining 10 counts were various violations of article 23-A of the General Business Law.

Defendant is moving here to: dismiss the indictment on the grounds that defendant had immunity (1) emanating from the Martin Act proceedings and (2) emanating from the Grand Jury with respect to the offenses charged, pursuant to GPL 210.20 (subd 1, par [d]); dismiss the fourth through eighth and thirteenth counts on the ground that they are time barred by the applicable Statute of Limitations, pursuant to GPL 210.20 (subd 1, par [f]); inspect and dismiss as to the perjury count on the grounds that the evidence was not legally sufficient to establish defendant’s commission of the crime charged (for several reasons) and that the Special Deputy Attorney-General did not properly charge the Grand Jury as to the crime charged, pursuant to GPL 210.20 (subd 1, par [c]). Each aspect of defendant’s motion will be discussed separately.

IMMUNITY UNDER THE MARTIN ACT

Defendant is specifically alleging here that at the March 13, 1979 proceeding, he was compelled to be a witness against himself under threat of criminal prosecution, contrary to his State and Federal constitutional rights and that as a result, the immunity provision under the Martin Act was triggered, granting him immunity from any prosecution based upon the evidence adduced at the Martin Act proceedings.

The immunity provision under the Martin Act (General Business Law, § 359) reads as follows:

“Immunity
“Upon any investigation before the attorney-general or his deputy or other officer designated by him, or in any criminal proceeding before any court or grand jury, pursuant to or for a violation of any of the provisions of this [946]*946article, the attorney-general, his deputy or other officer designated by him, or the court or grand jury, may confer immunity in accordance with the provisions of section 50.20 or 190.40 of the criminal procedure law.” (Italics supplied.)

In this context, the applicable provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law are CPL 50.10 and 50.20 which read in relevant part as follows:

“50.10 Compulsion of evidence by offer of immunity; definitions of terms

“The following definitions are applicable to this article:

“1. ‘Immunity.’ A person who has been a witness in a legal proceeding, and who cannot, except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, be convicted Of any offense or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter or thing concerning which he gave evidence therein, possesses ‘immunity’ from any such conviction, penalty or forfeiture. A person who possesses such immunity may nevertheless be convicted of perjury as a result of having given false testimony in such legal proceeding, and may be convicted of or adjudged in contempt as a result of having, contumaciously refused to give evidence therein.

“2. ‘Legal proceeding’ means a proceeding in or before any court or grand jury, or before any body, agency or person authorized by law to conduct the same and to administer the oath or to cause it to be administered.

“3. ‘Give evidence’ means to testify or produce physical evidence.

“50.20 Compulsion of evidence by offer of immunity

“1. Any witness in a legal proceeding, other than a grand jury proceeding, may refuse to give evidence requested of him on the ground that it may tend to incriminate him and he may not, except as provided in subdivision two, be compelled to give such evidence.

“2. Such a witness may be compelled to give evidence in such a proceeding notwithstanding an assertion of his privilege against self-incrimination if:

“(a) The proceeding is one in which, by express provision of statute, a person conducting or connected therewith [947]*947is declared a competent authority to confer immunity upon witnesses therein; and

“(b) Such competent authority (i) orders such witness to give the requested evidence notwithstanding his assertion of his privilege against self-incrimination, and (ii) advises him that upon so doing he will receive immunity.

“3. A witness who is ordered to give evidence pursuant to subdivision two and who complies with such order receives immunity. Such witness is not deprived of such immunity because such competent authority did not comply with statutory provisions requiring notice to a specified public servant of intention to confer immunity.”

The statutory provisions cited above are clear that the conferring of immunity in a proceeding other than a Grand Jury in the State of New York involves a clearly defined three-step procedure. The statutory prerequisite to this procedure is that the “competent authority” involved with the proceeding has express statutory authority to confer immunity — as the Assistant Attorney-General is granted by section 359 of article 23-A of the General Business Law.

The first step in the immunity conferral sequence is that the witness must claim his Fifth Amendment privilege in response to a query made of him at the proceeding. The second step is that the “competent authority” order the witness to give the requested information notwithstanding his assertion of his privilege, advising him that upon doing so, he will receive immunity. The third step is that the witness complies with such order, thereby receiving immunity.

The statute is clear that should a witness claim his privilege and the “competent authority” chooses not to offer immunity, the witness, barring any waiver of his privilege, need not answer the query nor may he be coerced or forced to answer involuntarily.

The particular question that the instant case presents is what should the outcome be when the three-step procedure is inadvertently followed except

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
105 Misc. 2d 942, 430 N.Y.S.2d 495, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-linick-nysupct-1980.