People v. Pinckney

65 Misc. 2d 265, 317 N.Y.S.2d 416, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1961
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedJanuary 4, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 65 Misc. 2d 265 (People v. Pinckney) 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. Pinckney, 65 Misc. 2d 265, 317 N.Y.S.2d 416, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1961 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

John A. Gallucci, J.

The defendant was indicted by Indictment No. 70-123, and upon arraignment, entered a plea of not guilty.

The indictment charges the defendant under three counts with the felonies of manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide, and criminally selling a dangerous drug in the third degree.

The indictment reads as follows:

11 THE GRAND JURY OF THE COUNTY OF ROCKLAND, by this indictment, accuse william l. pinckney of the crime of manslaughter in the second degree, committed as follows:

“ The said William L. Pinckney, in the Village of West Haver straw, County of Rockland and State of New York, on the 4th day of April, 1970, wilfully, wrongfully and unlawfully did recklessly cause the death of one Francis John Muthig, also known as John Francis Muthig, by then and there selling to and providing said Francis John Muthig with a quantity of the narcotic drug Heroin which said Francis J ohn Muthig immediately, with the instruments furnished to him by said William L. Pinckney, prepared for injection and did inject into his body, as a direct result of which said Francis John Muthig thereafter, on the 5th day of April, 1970, died, the said William L. Pinckney knowing the said Heroin to be a dangerous drug; against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of the People of the State of New York and their dignity.

“ SECOND COUNT:

and the grand jury aforesaid, by this indictment, further accuse william l. pinckney of the crime of criminally negligent homicide, committed as follows:

The said William L. Pinckney, in the Village of West Haverstraw, County of Rockland and State of New York, on the 4th day of April, 1970, wilfully, wrongfully and unlawfully, with criminal negligence, caused the death of one Francis J ohn Muthig, also known as John Francis Muthig, by then and there selling to and provided said Francis John Muthig with a quantity of the narcotic drug Heroin which said Francis John Muthig immediately, with the instruments furnished to him by [267]*267said William L. Pinckney, prepared for injection and did inject into his body, as a direct result of which said Francis John Muthig thereafter, on the 5th day of April, 1970, died, the said William L. Pinckney knowing the said Heroin to be a dangerous drug; against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of the People of the State of New York and their dignity.

‘1 third count :

and the grand jury aforesaid, by this indictment, further accuse william l. pinckney of the crime of criminally selling a dangerous drug, in the third degree, committed as follows:

“ The said William L. Pinckney, in the Village of West Haverstraw, County of Rockland and State of New York, on the 4th day of April, 1970, wilfully, wrongfully and unlawfully did knowingly sell to one Francis John Muthig, also known as John Francis Muthig, a quantity of the narcotic drug Heroin, for which said William L. Pinckney received and said Francis John Muthig paid, as the consideration for said sale, $15.00 in lawful money of the United States of America; against the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace of the People of the State of New York and their dignity.”

The defendant has moved and seeks relief as follows: (1) for a dismissal of counts one and two on the ground that they fail to allege facts which constitute a criminal offense; (2) for inspection of the Grand Jury minutes or, in the alternative, for a dismissal of the three counts in the indictment; (3) for discovery and inspection; (4) for disclosure as to whether eavesdropping or wiretapping orders were used; and (5) a bill of particulars.

The court will consider first defendant’s application for a dismissal of counts one and two of the indictment on the ground that they fail to allege facts which constitute a criminal offense. The court will treat that portion of defendant’s application as a demurrer to the indictment under subdivision 4 of section 323 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which reads as follows:

The defendant may demur to the indictment, or any count thereof, when it appears upon the face thereof * * * 4. That the facts stated do not constitute a crime ”.

As to the third count (Penal Law, § 220.35), the defendant, does not in effect demur thereto. In any event, the court is of the opinion that the third count conforms and complies substantially with the requirements of sections 275 and 276 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

[268]*268The defendant contends, with respect to counts one and twp, the indictment fails to state and set forth criminal conduct as a matter of law. He argues that although said counts charge the defendant with causing the death of Francis John Muthig by reckless and negligent conduct of the defendant, the facts as stated in each of said two counts do not set forth reckless or criminally negligent conduct. He also claims that the Legislature did not intend the crimes of manslaughter in the second degree and criminally negligent homicide to apply in this type of a case, to wit, where it is alleged the defendant knowing heroin to be a dangerous drug, sold it to the victim, provided the victim with the instruments for injecting it into his body, thereafter the victim did inject the dangerous drug into his body and died as a result thereof.

Section 125.15 of the Penal Law provides: A person is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree when: 1. He recklessly causes the death of another person ’ ’.

Subdivision 3 of section 15.05 of the Penal Law defines ‘ ‘ recklessly ”, as follows: “ A person acts recklessly with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result will occur or that such circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that disregard thereof constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.”

Section 125.10 of the Penal Law provides: “A person is guilty of criminally negligent homicide when, with criminal negligence, he causes the death of another person.”

Subdivision 4 of section 15.05 defines “ criminal negligence ” as follows: “A person acts with criminal negligence with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result will occur or that such circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.”

The indictment charges that the defendant recklessly and with criminal negligence caused the death of another person, Francis John Muthig. It charges in a plain and concise manner, without unnecessary repetition, that the defendant committed certain acts which in form purportedly constitute the crimes of manslaughter in the second .degree and criminally negligent homicide. (Code Crim. Pro., § 275, subd. 2; People [269]*269v. Ferguson, 55 Misc 2d 823.) As a matter of pleading, therefore, the indictment against the defendant is proper in form and is not subject to dismissal.

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Bluebook (online)
65 Misc. 2d 265, 317 N.Y.S.2d 416, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1961, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-pinckney-nycountyct-1971.