People v. Ortiz
This text of 92 A.D.2d 595 (People v. Ortiz) 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.
Opinion
— Appeal by defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Deeley, J.), rendered March 6,1980, convicting him of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. Judgment affirmed. In that portion of its charge as to reasonable doubt, the trial court referred to establishing guilt to a “moral certainty”, as well as to wavering minds and even scales. Such language was improper (People v Cousart, 74 AD2d 877; People v McCray, 57 AD2d 632). No exception was taken, however, and examination of the entire charge indicates that the concept of reasonable doubt was correctly explained to the jury (People v Turrell, 66 AD2d 862, affd 50 NY2d 400; People v Patterson, 76 AD2d 891; People v Woods, 41 NY2d 279, 283). We have reviewed defendant’s other contentions and find them to be without merit. O’Connor, J. P., Brown, Niehoff and Rubin, JJ., concur.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack
92 A.D.2d 595, 459 N.Y.S.2d 487, 1983 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 16854, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ortiz-nyappdiv-1983.