People v. Seaman

132 Misc. 2d 336, 504 N.Y.S.2d 603, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2692
CourtNew York District Court
DecidedJune 11, 1986
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 132 Misc. 2d 336 (People v. Seaman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Seaman, 132 Misc. 2d 336, 504 N.Y.S.2d 603, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2692 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Marvin E. Segal, J.

On March 2, 1985, the defendant, Richard Seaman, was [337]*337arrested and charged with criminal trespass in the third degree, resisting arrest, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, in violation of Penal Law §§ 140.10, 205.30 and 265.01 (2), respectively.

On April 2, 1986, following a jury trial before this court, the defendant was acquitted of the charges of criminal trespass in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. However, he was found guilty of resisting arrest.

The defendant now moves pursuant to CPL 330.30 (1) to set aside the guilty verdict on the ground that the People failed to sustain their burden of proof with respect to a material element of the crime of resisting arrest.

FACTS

The trial evidence, in pertinent part, indicates that on March 2, 1985, the defendant was observed inside the grounds of the barn area of Belmont Park, a racetrack located in Elmont, New York. He was in the presence of Shireen Chambers, a Belmont Park resident employee. The area is fenced and designed to exclude intruders, and is closed to the general public.

Officer William Shanahan, a Pinkerton security guard employed as a "Special Police Officer” by the New York Racing Association testified that on March 2, 1985, while patrolling Belmont Park in his patrol car with Officer Kenneth Ryan, a coemployee, he noticed two persons later identified as the defendant and Shireen Chambers. He requested the defendant to approach the patrol car, but defendant did not respond. Instead, Chambers came to the car, and upon request, produced her credentials. The defendant again ignored Shanahan’s request for him to approach the car. While Chambers cursed the officers, defendant fled the scene on his bicycle, with Chambers following afoot.

Shireen Chambers was apprehended shortly thereafter by Officer Shanahan and placed in the rear of the patrol car. The officers then pursued the defendant. While still in their patrol car, they observed the defendant running on Plainfield Avenue. They called the defendant by name, and asked him to stop. Instead, the defendant jumped from his bicycle and threw it at the patrol car. He then jumped on top of and over the patrol car and proceeded down a hill. Officer Shanahan was prevented from leaving the patrol car because the defen[338]*338dant’s bicycle was lodged against the driver’s door. Officer Ryan managed to catch the defendant by forcing him to kneel, and by embracing him in a half-nelson type of headlock. While further restraining the defendant by holding him by his jacket collar, Officer Ryan informed the defendant that he was under arrest for criminal trespass. The defendant continued to thrash about. Officer Ryan attempted to grab the defendant’s right arm in order to prevent the defendant from releasing himself. A struggle ensued for about one minute, during which time the defendant pulled away twice. Ryan experienced a great deal of pain in his right shoulder during his encounter with the defendant. Officer Shanahan was finally able to grab and handcuffed the defendant’s hands.

Once the defendant was secured, Officer Shanahan read him his Miranda warnings and placed him in the patrol car. The defendant was then taken to the dormitory office at Belmont, where a dagger was found inside his belt buckle. Thereafter, the defendant was placed in police custody.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

The issue which must be decided is whether the Pinkerton security guards employed by the New York Racing Association as special police officers are "peace officers” within the purview of CPL 1.20 and 2.10. The defendant contends that the People failed to sustain their burden of proof that Pinkerton guards, Kenneth Ryan and William Shanahan, were peace officers within the meaning of CPL 2.10.

The defendant herein was charged with resisting arrest. Penal Law § 205.30 states: "[a] person is guilty of resisting arrest when he intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a police officer or peace officer from effecting an authorized arrest of himself or another person.”

On November 19, 1985, the Honorable Robert Rosenthal conducted a combined Mapp-Huntley hearing. On March 6, 1986, Judge Rosenthal issued his decision, holding, inter alia, that there was probable cause to arrest the defendant. That decision is the law of the case. Hence, the arrest was authorized. (People v Stephens, 100 Misc 2d 267 [Dist Ct, Suffolk County 1979]; People v Lyke, 72 Misc 2d 1046 [Broome County Ct 1973].)

A person can only be guilty of resisting arrest if he prevents a police officer or peace officer from effecting an authorized arrest. Therefore, if, as the defendant contends, Officer Ryan [339]*339was not a peace officer within the meaning of CPL 2.10, then the defendant could not have, as a matter of law, resisted arrest.

CPL 1.20 (33) defines peace officer as a person listed in CPL 2.10 of this chapter. CPL 2.10 (29), in specifying those persons designated as peace officers, states, inter alia: "Special policemen for horse racing, appointed pursuant to the provisions of the pari-mutuel revenue law as set forth in chapter two hundred fifty-four of the laws of nineteen hundred forty, as amended; provided, however, that nothing in this subdivision shall be deemed to authorize such officer to carry, possess, repair or dispose of a firearm unless the appropriate license therefor has been issued pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law”, shall have the powers of and shall be peace officers.

In addition thereto, Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 215 also provides for special policemen for horse racing. This section states: "For the purpose of preserving order and preventing offenses against the laws prohibiting gambling, the trustees or directors of any corporation created under or subject to the provisions of this article are hereby authorized to appoint from time to time, five or more special policemen, and the same to remove at pleasure, who, when appointed, shall be peace officers with the same powers within and about such grounds as are set forth in section 2.20 of the criminal procedure law, whose duty, when appointed, shall be to preserve order within and around the grounds and racetracks of said corporation, to protect the property within said grounds, to eject or arrest all persons who shall be improperly within the grounds of such corporation or who shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, or who shall neglect or refuse to pay the fees or to observe the rules prescribed by said corporation; and it shall be the further duty of said policemen, when appointed, to prevent all violations of law with reference to pool-selling, bookmaking and other gambling, and to arrest any and all persons violating such provisions, and to convey such person or persons so arrested, with a statement of the cause of such arrest, before a court having jurisdiction of such offense, to be dealt with according to the law. The appointment of policemen in pursuance of this section shall not be deemed to supersede in any way on the grounds and racetrack of such corporation the authority of peace officers or police officers of the jurisdiction within which such grounds and racetrack are located.”

[340]*340Testimony was elicited at trial from Marvin L.

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Bluebook (online)
132 Misc. 2d 336, 504 N.Y.S.2d 603, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2692, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-seaman-nydistct-1986.