People v. Pham

118 A.D.3d 1159, 987 N.Y.S.2d 687

This text of 118 A.D.3d 1159 (People v. Pham) 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. Pham, 118 A.D.3d 1159, 987 N.Y.S.2d 687 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

McCarthy, J.

Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Albany County (Herrick, J.), rendered September 20, 2012, upon a verdict convicting defendant of the crimes of rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, criminal contempt [1160]*1160in the first degree, criminal contempt in the second degree and tampering with a witness in the fourth degree.

Defendant’s ex-girlfriend (hereinafter the victim), who was also the mother of two of his children, accused defendant of raping her during a domestic dispute. At the time, a stay-away order of protection prohibited defendant from being in her presence or contacting her in any way. A new order of protection was entered, but defendant repeatedly attempted to call the victim from jail. He reached her twice and attempted to discourage her from cooperating with the police or prosecution. Following a trial, a jury convicted defendant of rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, criminal contempt in the first degree, criminal contempt in the second degree and tampering with a witness in the fourth degree. County Court sentenced defendant to an aggregate term of 22 years in prison and 15 years of postrelease supervision. Defendant appeals.

The jury’s verdict was not against the weight of the evidence. Defendant only specifically challenges the verdict on the count of criminal contempt in the first degree. That count required proof that, “in violation of a duly served order of protection,” defendant, “with intent to harass, annoy, threaten or alarm a person for whose protection such order was issued, repeatedly ma[de] telephone calls to such person, whether or not a conversation ensue[d], with no purpose of legitimate communication” (Penal Law § 215.51 [b] [iv]). This Court must “weigh the evidence in light of the elements of the crime as charged without objection by defendant” (People v Noble, 86 NY2d 814, 815 [1995]; accord People v Cooper, 88 NY2d 1056, 1058 [1996]). The charge included all of the statutory language. In addition to the orders of protection and proof that defendant was personally served with them, the People submitted phone records and recordings indicating that defendant attempted to call the victim more than 50 times during the five days following the rape and actually spoke to the victim twice. The jury could find that the sheer volume of calls indicates an intent to harass or annoy the victim, but defendant also called back when the victim told him to stop calling and hung up on him (see People v Soler, 52 AD3d 938, 940 [2008], lv denied 11 NY3d 741 [2008]). Combined with defendant’s prior abusive relationship with the victim that resulted in the orders of protection, this evidence was sufficient to allow the jury to conclude that defendant was contacting the victim to harass or annoy her, without any legitimate purpose (see People v Tomasky, 36 AD3d 1025, 1025-1026 [2007], lv denied 8 NY3d 927 [2007]).

County Court did not err in allowing evidence of the history [1161]*1161of domestic violence between defendant and the victim. While not admissible to demonstrate bad character generally or a propensity to commit the charged crimes, “evidence of uncharged crimes or bad acts may be admitted if it establishes an element of the crime charged, such as the element of forcible compulsion in a rape case, is inextricably interwoven with the charged crime[ ], provide[s] necessary background^] . . . completed] a witness’s narrative, or falls within the five general Molineux exceptions” (People v Higgins, 12 AD3d 775, 777-778 [2004], lv denied 4 NY3d 764 [2005] [internal quotation marks and citations omitted]; see People v Cook, 93 NY2d 840, 841 [1999]). “Indeed, £[p]rior bad acts in domestic violence situations are more likely to be considered relevant and probative evidence because the aggression and bad acts are focused on one particular person, demonstrating the defendant’s intent [and] motive’ ” (People v Burkett, 101 AD3d 1468, 1470 [2012], lv denied 20 NY3d 1096 [2013], quoting People v Westerling, 48 AD3d 965, 966 [2008]). Testimony from the victim’s sister and brother-in-law concerning the turbulent nature of defendant’s relationship with the victim was relevant and probative evidence on the issues of intent and forcible compulsion and provided necessary background regarding their history (see People v Higgins, 12 AD3d at 777-778).

County Court did not err in admitting photographs of the victim taken during her medical examination. The sanction for failing to produce discoverable evidence pursuant to CPL 240.20 is left to the sound discretion of the trial court (see CPL 240.70 [1]; People v Jenkins, 98 NY2d 280, 283-284 [2002]; People v Carpenter, 88 AD3d 1160, 1161 [2011]). “Preclusion of evidence is a severe sanction, not to be employed unless any potential prejudice arising from the failure to disclose cannot be cured by a lesser sanction” (People v Jenkins, 98 NY2d at 284). The People did not provide defendant with copies of the photographs when he demanded them.

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Related

White v. Illinois
502 U.S. 346 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Giles v. California
554 U.S. 353 (Supreme Court, 2008)
People v. Jenkins
774 N.E.2d 716 (New York Court of Appeals, 2002)
People v. Joseph
658 N.E.2d 996 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. Cooper
673 N.E.2d 1234 (New York Court of Appeals, 1996)
Schozer v. William Penn Life Insurance
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People v. Ortega
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People v. Purnell
953 N.E.2d 807 (New York Court of Appeals, 2011)
People v. Wester
952 N.E.2d 1106 (New York Court of Appeals, 2011)
People v. Duhs
947 N.E.2d 617 (New York Court of Appeals, 2011)
People v. Noble
657 N.E.2d 490 (New York Court of Appeals, 1995)
People v. Cook
710 N.E.2d 654 (New York Court of Appeals, 1999)
People v. Higgins
12 A.D.3d 775 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2004)
People v. De Fayette
27 A.D.3d 840 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
People v. Tomasky
36 A.D.3d 1025 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2007)
People v. Westerling
48 A.D.3d 965 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
People v. Soler
52 A.D.3d 938 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
People v. Wright
81 A.D.3d 1161 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2011)
People v. Auleta
82 A.D.3d 1417 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2011)
People v. Shepherd
83 A.D.3d 1298 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2011)

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Bluebook (online)
118 A.D.3d 1159, 987 N.Y.S.2d 687, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-pham-nyappdiv-2014.