People v. Nielsen

259 A.D.2d 501, 684 N.Y.S.2d 880, 1999 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1992

This text of 259 A.D.2d 501 (People v. Nielsen) 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. Nielsen, 259 A.D.2d 501, 684 N.Y.S.2d 880, 1999 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1992 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

Appeal by the defendant, from a judgment of the County Court, Suffolk County (Weissman, J.), rendered April 19, 1996, as amended May 6, 1996, convicting him of driving while intoxicated as a felony, failing to keep right, and crossing over a double line, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment, as amended, is affirmed.

The defendant contends that the evidence presented at trial was legally insufficient to support his conviction of driving while intoxicated because the People failed to establish the element of intoxication. That contention is unpreserved for appellate review (see, CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Gray, 86 NY2d 10). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the People (see, People v Contes, 60 NY2d 620), we find that it was legally sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to establish that the defendant operated a motor vehicle while intoxicated in violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (see, People v Sawinski, 246 AD2d 689, 691; People v Kane, 240 AD2d 516). Moreover, upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15 [5]).

The defendant’s contention that the court’s single reference to driving while intoxicated as a felony during the jury charge constituted reversible error is unpreserved for appellate review (see, CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Santiago, 52 NY2d 865; People v Amato, 238 AD2d 432), and, in any event, is without merit (see, People v Woodrow, 212 AD2d 834; cf., People v Cooper, 78 NY2d 476), particularly given the court’s prompt curative instruction to the jury.

The court’s Sandoval ruling did not constitute an improvident exercise of discretion (see, People v Ardila, 202 AD2d 514, affd 85 NY2d 846; People v McAleavey, 159 AD2d 646). Bracken, J. P., Santucci, Goldstein and McGinity, JJ., concur.

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Related

People v. Gray
652 N.E.2d 919 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. Ardila
647 N.E.2d 1355 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. Cooper
583 N.E.2d 915 (New York Court of Appeals, 1991)
People v. Santiago
418 N.E.2d 668 (New York Court of Appeals, 1981)
People v. Contes
454 N.E.2d 932 (New York Court of Appeals, 1983)
People v. McAleavey
159 A.D.2d 646 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1990)
People v. Ardila
202 A.D.2d 514 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1994)
People v. Woodrow
212 A.D.2d 834 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1995)
People v. Amato
238 A.D.2d 432 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
People v. Kane
240 A.D.2d 516 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
People v. Sawinski
246 A.D.2d 689 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1998)

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Bluebook (online)
259 A.D.2d 501, 684 N.Y.S.2d 880, 1999 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1992, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-nielsen-nyappdiv-1999.