People v. Tatro

53 A.D.3d 781, 862 N.Y.S.2d 154
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 10, 2008
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 53 A.D.3d 781 (People v. Tatro) 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. Tatro, 53 A.D.3d 781, 862 N.Y.S.2d 154 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Peters, J.

Appeal from a judgment of the Supreme Court (Mc-Donough, J.), rendered December 18, 2006 in Albany County, upon a verdict convicting defendant of two counts of the crime of assault in the second degree.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on February 17, 2006, Andre Blakemore, Dushan Wilson and another individual were in the vicinity of 301 Washington Avenue in the City of Albany when defendant approached them, pulled out a weapon and shot Blakemore and Wilson as they fled. While being treated at a hospital for their gunshot wounds, Blakemore and Wilson were interviewed by detectives and Blakemore provided information leading the police to believe that defendant was involved in the shooting. Detectives then questioned defendant regarding both an incident that occurred three days earlier, in which he was the victim of a shooting and suffered gunshot wounds, and the shooting of Blakemore and Wilson. Defendant stated that when Blakemore and Wilson were shot, he was at home—and had been the entire night—and claimed that he had a telephone conversation with a friend, Quandesha Irving, sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on the morning of the shooting.

After defendant was indicted for the crimes of attempted murder in the second degree (two counts), assault in the first degree (two counts), assault in the second degree (two counts) and criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, he moved to dismiss the indictment, alleging prosecutorial misconduct during the grand jury proceedings. County Court (Breslin, J.) denied the [783]*783motion and, following a jury trial, defendant was convicted of assault in the second degree (two counts) and criminal use of a firearm in the first degree. At sentencing, Supreme Court set aside defendant’s conviction for criminal use of a firearm in the first degree and sentenced him to two consecutive prison terms of seven years. This appeal ensued.

Defendant initially argues that County Court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the indictment based upon alleged prosecutorial misconduct before the grand jury. Because dismissal of an indictment pursuant to CPL 210.35 is a drastic and exceptional remedy, it should be limited to only “those instances where prosecutorial wrongdoing, fraudulent conduct or errors potentially prejudice the ultimate decision reached by the [g]rand |j]ury” (People v Huston, 88 NY2d 400, 409 [1996]; see People v Ramos, 48 AD3d 984, 985 [2008]; People v Mujahid, 45 AD3d 1184, 1185 [2007], lv denied 10 NY3d 814 [2008]). “The likelihood of prejudice turns on the particular facts of each case, including the weight and nature of the admissible proof adduced to support the indictment and the degree of inappropriate prosecutorial influence or bias” (People v Huston, 88 NY2d at 409; see People v Moffitt, 20 AD3d 687, 688 [2005], lv denied 5 NY3d 854 [2005]).

Here, Blakemore unequivocally testified before the grand jury that defendant was the individual who confronted Wilson and him and fired shots at them, explaining that he had “no problems” identifying defendant due to the lighting conditions on Washington Avenue and his familiarity with defendant for years prior to the incident. Defendant testified to the contrary, asserting that he had not left his home on the night of the shooting and that his two sisters, as well as Shameeka Moore, another individual who resided at the home, were present throughout the night. In support of his alibi defense, defendant further testified that he had a telephone conversation with Irving at some point between 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on the morning of the shooting, but could not recall whether he received the call on his home telephone or his sister’s cellular telephone. The prosecutor then assertively questioned defendant in a manner which implied that she was aware of documentary evidence that contradicted defendant’s alibi testimony concerning the conversation with Irving. There is no indication in the record, however, that the prosecutor was actually in possession of the call records for defendant’s sister’s cellular telephone at the time of the grand jury proceedings. Notably, defense counsel thereafter obtained the records for the cellular telephone which, in fact, revealed that a call was received at 1:39 am. on the morning of the shooting.

[784]*784While we strongly disapprove of the prosecutor’s conduct, “ ‘[isolated instances of misconduct will not necessarily impair the integrity of the [gjrand [jjury proceedings or lead to the possibility of prejudice’ ” (People v Alicea, 276 AD2d 915, 916 [2000], lv denied 96 NY2d 780 [2001], quoting People v Huston, 88 NY2d at 409; see People v Spencer, 289 AD2d 877, 878 [2001], lv denied 98 NY2d 655 [2002]). Here, there was no overall pattern of misconduct which permeated the proceedings; rather, the challenged conduct consists of a brief, isolated line of questioning by the prosecutor (compare People v Huston, 88 NY2d at 410). Moreover, defendant provided the grand jury with a full narrative of his own version of the events before he was cross-examined (see People v Alicea, 276 AD2d at 916; compare People v Miller, 144 AD2d 94, 97 [1989]), and the grand jury heard the testimony of defendant’s three alibi witnesses, each of whom corroborated defendant’s testimony that he had been home the entire night of the shooting (see generally People v Lancaster, 69 NY2d 20, 26 [1986], cert denied 480 US 922 [1987]). Since Blakemore positively identified defendant as the assailant, the evidence before the grand jury was legally sufficient to establish a prima facie case that defendant had committed the shootings (see CPL 190.65 [1]; People v Jennings, 69 NY2d 103, 114 [1986]; People v Spencer, 289 AD2d at 879; see also People v Perry, 187 AD2d 678, 678 [1992], lv denied 81 NY2d 891 [1993]) and, therefore, the information in the call records would not have eliminated a “needless or unfounded prosecution” (People v Valles, 62 NY2d 36, 38 [1984]; see People v Gudz, 18 AD3d 11, 14 [2005]). Accordingly, County Court properly denied the motion to dismiss.

Next, we reject defendant’s contention that the introduction of evidence of his gang affiliation constituted reversible error. The People elicited testimony that, when questioned about the shooting in which he was the victim, defendant informed detectives that he believed he was targeted as a result of an “uptown-downtown problem” and that he “told his boys that they were not to retaliate.” Blakemore further testified as to local gangs in Albany, stating that both he and Wilson were from “uptown” and they associated with the “Jungle Junkies,” while defendant was from “downtown,” and that these neighborhoods had been fighting since he was young. Additionally, a gang expert

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Bluebook (online)
53 A.D.3d 781, 862 N.Y.S.2d 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-tatro-nyappdiv-2008.