People v. Lynch

61 A.D.2d 723, 403 N.Y.S.2d 755, 1978 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10406
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedApril 10, 1978
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 61 A.D.2d 723 (People v. Lynch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State 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. Lynch, 61 A.D.2d 723, 403 N.Y.S.2d 755, 1978 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10406 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

[724]*724OPINION OF THE COURT

Shapiro, J.

Defendants Lynch and Byrne were each convicted in the Supreme Court, Westchester County, of grand larceny in the first degree, upon a jury verdict. The court, on January 6, 1977, imposed a sentence of 4 to 12 years on defendant Lynch and 3 to 9 years on defendant Byrne. In this consolidated appeal, each defendant claims that the sentence imposed upon him was excessive; the Byrne appeal also brings up for review the partial denial, after a Huntley hearing, of his motion to suppress certain inculpatory statements. We affirm.

Although the defendants were originally charged with the first degree kidnapping of one Samuel Bronfman and with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, as well as grand larceny in the first degree, they were found guilty only of the latter crime. We have carefully and separately considered the claim of each defendant that, as to him, the sentence was excessive and should be modified. It suffices to say, without their recital here, that the facts in the record do not indicate that the sentences were in any way excessive or unjust. They should therefore not be disturbed.

We now come to the suppression issue, which is raised only by the defendant Byrne. To understand his contention that the court was in error in only partially granting his motion to suppress, we accept his version of the facts as they are contained in his brief:

"Just prior to selection of a jury, Judge Beisheim held the Huntley Hearing in re defendant appellant Dominick Byrne’s motion to suppress oral and written statements made on Sunday, August 17, 1975 while he was in custody at FBI Headquarters in Manhattan from about 5:00 a.m. until about 7:00 p.m. During said Huntley Hearing, the Court found that on Sunday, August 17, 1975 an interview of defendant appellant Dominick Byrne was conducted by special agents of the FBI McGonigle and Fuller concerning Dominick Byrne’s involvement in the alleged Sam Bronfman kidnapping. Said interview was conducted at FBI Headquarters in Manhattan in the office of Special Agent in Charge, Ingram.

"S.A.C. Ingram was one of four FBI Agents in charge of the entire New York office of the FBI. The interview commenced at about 5:00 a.m. and was terminated approximately 14 [725]*725hours later at about 7:00 p.m. when Dominick Byrne signed a statement prepared by the said FBI Agents.

"At about 2:10 p.m. on that day and five hours before the termination of the interview, Peter E. De Blasio telephoned from New Hampshire to FBI Headquarters and spoke with S.A.C. Ingram and advised him of his having been retained by the family of defendant Dominick Byrne to represent Dominick Byrne and he requested and directed that there be no further questioning of Dominick Byrne. Approximately one half hour later De Blasio again telephoned to FBI Headquarters and spoke to Assistant United States Attorney, Feffer in the same vein. At that time Assistant United States Attorney Feffer and Assistant United States Attorney Pedowitz were interrogating Dominick Byrne in the presence of Special Agents, McGonigle and Fuller at FBI Headquarters in S.A.C. Ingram’s room. Instead of terminating the questioning immediately upon being advised of counsel’s representation of Dominick Byrne the Assistant United States Attorneys continued their interrogation until about 3:00 p.m. at which time they had Dominick Byrne sign a statement which statement was witnessed by Special Agents McGonigle and Fuller.

"At that time the Assistant United States Attorneys left and Special Agents McGonigle and Fuller continued their interview and interrogation of Dominick Byrne which had been temporarily interrupted by lunch at about 12:20 p.m., and by the arrival of the Assistant United States Attorneys at about 12:50 p.m.

"At about 4:30 p.m., which was about one and a half hours after Dominick Byrne signed the statement prepared by the Assistant United States Attorneys and about two hours and twenty minutes after notification of counsel’s retention, Special Agents McGonigle and Fuller completed their questioning of Dominick Byrne and prepared a written statement which they had him sign at about 7:00 p.m.”

On these facts the trial court, citing, inter alia, People v Hobson (39 NY2d 479), determined that Byrne’s constitutional rights were violated when the Federal authorities continued to interrogate him after they became aware, at 2:10 p.m., that Byrne’s attorney had entered the proceeding and had demanded the cessation of questioning. Hence, the court suppressed the fruits of the interrogation after 2:10 p.m., i.e., the 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. signed statements, as well as all oral statements made after 2:10 p.m. The trial court, however, [726]*726refused to suppress Byrne’s oral inculpatory remarks made prior to 2:10 p.m. Byrne had the opportunity, at the Huntley hearing, to testify in his own behalf without waiving his right against self incrimination at the trial. Under these circumstances, it is significant that, at the Huntley hearing, Byrne did not contradict, dispute or challenge the People’s proof as to the substance of his confessions prior to 2:10 p.m.

It is clear that when Byrne’s lawyér called at 2:10 p.m. and demanded that the authorities terminate the interrogation of his client, they should have done so forthwith (see People v Gunner, 15 NY2d 226; People v Donovan, 13 NY2d 148; cf. People v Ramos, 40 NY2d 610; People v Hobson, 39 NY2d 479, supra; People v Arthur, 22 NY2d 325).

The record here indicates, and the trial court found, that prior to the 2:10 p.m. notification by attorney De Blasio that he represented Byrne, the latter had given a full oral confession to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Fuller and McGonigle, and to Assistant United States Attorneys Feffer and Pedowitz, in which he repudiated his first account of the incident, i.e., that two armed men had forced him and Lynch to aid them in the kidnap scheme. FBI agent Fuller’s testimony at the Huntley hearing indicates that virtually all essential facts had been admitted by Byrne by 12:20 p.m.

However, relying upon People v Failla (14 NY2d 178), defendant Byrne contends that if a confession is being taken at a time when defense counsel notifies the police of his representation, the part of the confession which was taken prior to such notice is inadmissible "if the law personnel did not follow the law and continued with interrogation.” While the language in Failla upon which Byrne relies, when broadly read, is susceptible of such an interpretation, that language must be read in the light of, and must be limited to, its factual setting (see Hogan v Board of Educ., 200 NY 370, 373; Crane v Bennett, 177 NY 106, 111; Colonial City Traction Co. v Kingston City R. R. Co., 154 NY 493, 495). In Failla the attorney appeared (pp 182-183) "just about when the taking of the confession started”, and it was in that context that the court spoke of the "larger policy consideration which interdicts fragmentation of statements”.

To apply that general statement here and to hold that the oral statements made by Byrne prior to 2:10 p.m. (which constituted a confession independent of the later statements) must be suppressed simply because the authorities wrongfully [727]*727failed to cease their interrogation at that time, would serve no logical purpose.

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Related

People v. Lynch
64 A.D.2d 940 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 A.D.2d 723, 403 N.Y.S.2d 755, 1978 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 10406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-lynch-nyappdiv-1978.