People v. Morris

186 Misc. 2d 564, 186 A.D.2d 564, 718 N.Y.S.2d 588, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 514
CourtCriminal Court of the City of New York
DecidedDecember 21, 2000
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 186 Misc. 2d 564 (People v. Morris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Criminal Court of the City 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. Morris, 186 Misc. 2d 564, 186 A.D.2d 564, 718 N.Y.S.2d 588, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 514 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2000).

Opinion

[565]*565OPINION OF THE COURT

Raymond Guzman, J.

The defendant has moved this court to remedy a Rosario violation. Specifically, the defendant has asked for both a de novo pretrial (Dunaway/Huntley/Wade) suppression hearing, and for a hearing to determine appropriate sanctions, such as that held in People v Martinez (71 NY2d 937 [1988]). In addition, the defendant has moved to preclude the introduction of certain non-Rosario material (the tape of a 911 call) in evidence at trial.

The objective is to fashion a commonsensical remedy which will eliminate prejudice to the defendant. Accordingly, a reopened (but not de novo) suppression hearing, as described infra, is ordered to be held before Judicial Hearing Officer (JHO) Morris Goldman, who conducted the initial hearing. Afterwards, JHO Goldman is instructed to issue new recommendations on the disposition of the defendant’s Dunaway/Huntley/Wade motions, in light of both the new testimony and any adverse inference from the loss or destruction of Rosario material. The defendant’s motion to preclude the introduction at trial of the tape of any 911 call made in connection with this case, if any exists, is granted. The defendant’s motion for a hearing to determine Rosario sanctions is denied.

Background

The defendant was arraigned on February 28, 2000, and charged with assault in the third degree, attempted assault in the third degree, and harassment in the second degree. At arraignment, the People served notice of their intention to offer evidence at trial of statements (oral and written) allegedly made to police by the defendant, and to offer testimony concerning the defendant’s identification by eyewitnesses at the scene of the incident.

In an omnibus motion, filed on May 4, 2000, the defendant asserted that there was no probable cause for his arrest. He further asserted that any statements he made to the police should be suppressed as the fruit of this illegal arrest, and/or because they were made involuntarily, and/or because they were improperly noticed. The defendant also asked that all identification testimony be suppressed, on the ground that any such identification was the result of his illegal arrest. On May 8, 2000, the court granted a pretrial suppression (Dunaway/Huntley/Wade) hearing on the issues raised, and adjourned the case to June 12, 2000.

[566]*566On June 12, 2000, Judge Arthur Schack sent the case for the Dunaway /Huntley / Wade hearing to be held before JHO Morris Goldman. At the beginning of the hearing, both the People and the defendant’s counsel stated for the record that one piece of Rosario material had yet to be provided to the defendant, to wit: a copy of the “back side” of the so-called “AIDED card” (a document on which an officer at the scene provides a handwritten description of a victim’s injuries). It should be noted that a copy of the “front side” of the AIDED card, which notes the victim’s name, age, etc., was turned over to the defendant.

The People said they would turn over the missing document as soon as they received it from the police. The defendant’s counsel noted that Judge Schack had given her leave to reopen the Dunaway/Huntley/Wade hearing if she found, upon receipt of the missing document, that it raised any issues. The JHO deemed this acceptable and the hearing proceeded.

The sole witness was the arresting police officer (P.O.), P.O. Christie, who testified on behalf of the People. Based on the transcript of the hearings, a summary of his testimony follows:

On February 27, 2000, P.O. Christie and his partner were on duty in a patrol car, when they were flagged down by a man who said that his wife had just been hit by (another) man. P.O. Christie saw a woman (the complainant) with a bloody, swollen nose, leaning against a wall. The complainant’s husband pointed out the defendant, who was standing about 10 feet away, as the assailant. The complainant told P.O. Christie that while she was walking down the street, the defendant, who was walking toward her from the opposite direction, punched her in the face, causing her to fall and hit her head; she asked for a doctor. The defendant told P.O. Christie that “while adjusting his jacket, he hit the woman in the face.” P.O. Christie also spoke to another witness. Other officers arrived at the scene; on cross-examination, P.O. Christie surmised they had arrived in response to a radio run generated by a 911 call. P.O. Christie arrested the defendant, who was sent to Bellevue for evaluation, and was later transported to the precinct house, where he was given Miranda warnings. The defendant subsequently made a written statement. (No testimony was elicited on the subject of the AIDED card.)

JHO Goldman found the witness credible. He concluded that there had been probable cause to arrest the defendant and that the identification was not “the slightest bit” police arranged. Accordingly, he recommended denial of the defendant’s Dun-away and Wade motions. The JHO also found that no Miranda [567]*567violations had occurred; however, his recommended disposition of the Huntley motion was difficult to decipher from the transcript.

Following the hearings, the People and the defendant both filed motions to controvert and/or reaffirm the JHO’s findings concerning the defendant’s oral and written statements. (Neither sought to controvert the JHO’s Dunaway and Wade recommendations.)

At the calendar call on September 13, 2000, this court issued a written decision adopting the JHO’s recommendation to deny the defendant’s Dunaway and Wade motions, and agreeing that there were no Miranda violations. Nevertheless, this court found that the oral statement noticed at arraignment was entirely different than the oral statement referred to at the suppression hearing. Accordingly, this court granted the defendant’s Huntley motion to suppress the oral statement(s), and denied suppression of the written statement. The defendant then requested a motion schedule to argue the Rosario issue.

Motions Now Before the Court

On September 22, 2000, the defendant filed two motions. One asked that the People be precluded from introducing as evidence at trial the tape of any 911 call which may have been made in connection with this case, on the grounds that such tape (if any exists) had not been turned over to the defendant. The other motion asked for a de novo Dunaway/Huntley/Wade hearing on the ground that the People had (still) not turned over the missing Rosario material (the back side of the AIDED card). The People did not file a motion in response.

At the calendar call on November 20, 2000, the People explained that they had not yet been able to obtain the AIDED card from the police. The case was adjourned to December 6, 2000, and the People were again ordered to obtain the missing document.

At the calendar call on December 6, 2000, the People produced a copy of a “New York City Police Department Aided Report,” a computer-generated document purporting to reflect the information P.O. Christie recorded on the AIDED card. The computer document has a “Narrative Section” which states: “aided [the victim] was punched in nose causing fracture to nose also, aided fell causing bruise to back of head.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 Misc. 2d 564, 186 A.D.2d 564, 718 N.Y.S.2d 588, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-morris-nycrimct-2000.