People v. McCray

63 Misc. 2d 803, 313 N.Y.S.2d 772, 1970 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1523
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedJune 18, 1970
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 63 Misc. 2d 803 (People v. McCray) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. McCray, 63 Misc. 2d 803, 313 N.Y.S.2d 772, 1970 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1523 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1970).

Opinion

John A. Gallucci, J.

Defendant moves to dismiss Indictment No. 70-30.

On March 12, 1970, the Grand Jury of Rockland County returned a sealed indictment against the defendant charging him with the commission of the crime of criminally selling a dangerous drug in the third degree, a class C felony.

Thereafter, the District Attorney issued a bench warrant pursuant to section 300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the arrest of the defendant. The bench warrant reads as follows:

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE COUNTY OF ROCKLAND

IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

To Any Peace Officer in this State:

An indictment having been found on the 12th day of March, 1970, in the County Court of the County of Rockland, charging John McCray with the crime of Grim Sell Dang Drug 3rd degree. You are therefore commanded forthwith to arrest the above named John McCray and bring him before that Court to answer the indictment, or if the Court have adjourned for the term, that you deliver him into custody of the Sheriff of the County of Rockland.

Dated Town of Clarkstown this 12th day of March 1970.

By order of the Court

Robert R. Meehan District Attorney of the County of Rockland

On Saturday, May 2, 1970, the defendant was arrested by a member of the New York State Police, at about 11:00 p.m. He was taken to the county jail and committed to the custody of the Sheriff of Rockland County. He remained confined in the county jail until May 15, 1970, when he was brought before the court for arraignment. During the period between May 2, 1970, and May 15, 1970, nothing was done by the District Attorney, the New York State Police, or the Sheriff with respect to bringing the defendant before the court for arraignment.

[805]*805It is undisputed that, during confinement, the defendant was not advised of his constitutional rights, was not afforded an opportunity to retain counsel or, if indigent, to have counsel assigned, or to have bail fixed. At no time between his arrest on May 2,1970, and his appearance before the court for arraignment on May 15,1970, was the defendant interrogated or in any manner subjected to any police activity with regard to the crime charged against him.

On May 15, 1970, the court, for the first time, unofficially learned that the defendant was incarcerated, and directed that he be brought before the court forthwith for arraignment. Prior thereto, the court had no knowledge that the District Attorney had issued a bench warrant and that the defendant had been arrested.

Pursuant to the court’s direction, the defendant was brought before the court on May 15,1970, for arraignment, and the Public Defender was assigned to represent him. Defense counsel, prior to arraignment, orally moved for a dismissal of the indictment for failure to promptly or within a reasonable time arraign the defendant. The District Attorney opposed the application. At the conclusion of the oral argument, the court reserved decision and granted defense counsel’s request to submit the application to dismiss in writing. The motion is now before the court.

The defendant contends (1) the People violated his Federal and State constitutional rights, his civil rights, as well as the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, by effecting his arrest on May 2, 1970, and thereafter allowing him to languish in jail until May 15, 1970,13 days, without being brought before the court for arraignment; that since the court cannot impose exclusionary sanctions as in the case of an illegal search and seizure or an illegally obtained confession, the indictment should be dismissed, as this is the only redress available to the defendant for the violation of his rights; and (2) that the statutory authority given to the District Attorney to issue a bench warrant following indictment (Code Grim. Pro., § 300) is an unconstitutional delegation of judicial power to an administrative officer of the government, and his arrest and confinement pursuant thereto was an illegal detention of his person so violative of his personal rights that he has suffered irreparable prejudice which requires the granting of the defendant’s motion.

Although the defendant claims he has suffered irreparable prejudice, he has not alleged or set forth a single instance of specific prejudice resulting from his confinement whereby his ability to properly and adequately defend himself against the [806]*806crime charged has been impaired or destroyed. Basically, the defendant argues that the indictment should be dismissed solely because of the delay between arrest and arraignment, to wit, 13 days, regardless of prejudice and even though no illegal activity was undertaken by law enforcement personnel during that time. The defendant contends that the People acted improperly and unlawfully, and that in the interests of justice the indictment should be dismissed.

The People concede that defendant’s confinement was “ an unfortunate custodial situation ’ ’. However, the People contend, since the defendant has not been prejudiced, the motion to dismiss is without merit. The People also state that the issuance of the bench warrant by the District Attorney after indictment was a lawful ministerial act as an officer of the court and pursuant to statutory authority and that upon the arrest of the defendant, all further duties and obligations of the District Attorney to have the defendant brought before the court ceased and terminated. In other words, the District Attorney takes the position that he had lawful authority to issue the bench warrant directing defendant’s arrest and confinement, but rejects any responsibility, legal or moral, for arraignment proceedings as mandated both by statutory and constitutional requirements. The District Attorney concludes that the duty to have an arrested defendant brought before the court ‘ without unnecessary delay ” rests either with the court itself or with the officers arresting or having custody of the defendant after arrest. Such argument is made by the District Attorney notwithstanding that the directive for the arrest and arraignment of the defendant originated with the District Attorney, and that the court had no knowledge a bench warrant had been issued by the District Attorney and that the defendant had been arrested. The court views this as an unusual position for the District Attorney to take since, in the past, the District Attorney has always arranged for the arraignment of a defendant arrested pursuant to a bench warrant issued by him, or otherwise.

The exercise of lawfully conferred authority imposes upon the acting officer or agency the duty and obligation to act in such a manner as achieves the purposes for the grant of authority to act ab initio. A claim of authority to perform an act must include, in the performance of the act itself, the responsibility for accomplishing, and not delaying, the purposes for which the authorized action is undertaken. The circumstance that various officers or agencies might share a common purpose or goal does not operate to limit or relieve the. actor of his responsibility. Indeed, it operates to impose the additional burdens of co-opera[807]*807tion and co-ordination among the interested officials and agencies.

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Related

People v. Wynn
102 Misc. 2d 785 (New York Supreme Court, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 Misc. 2d 803, 313 N.Y.S.2d 772, 1970 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1523, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mccray-nycountyct-1970.