People v. Valero

120 Misc. 2d 539, 466 N.Y.S.2d 600, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3756
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedAugust 17, 1983
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 120 Misc. 2d 539 (People v. Valero) 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. Valero, 120 Misc. 2d 539, 466 N.Y.S.2d 600, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3756 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Stuart Namm, J.

Defendant Ferdinand Valero is charged in indictment number 1318-83 with the commission of two counts of [540]*540kidnapping in the first degree in violation of section 135.25 (subd 2, pars [a], [b]) of the Penal Law. The defendant moves to dismiss the indictment upon several grounds. Some of the arguments made by the defendant are novel and appear to raise questions of first impression. His application is decided as follows:

INSPECTION OF GRAND JURY MINUTES AND RELEASE OF GRAND JURY TESTIMONY

In a prior written decision dated June 20, 1983, this court, after a review of the Grand Jury stenographic minutes, sustained the legal sufficiency of the evidence presented to the Grand Jury in support of the two counts of the indictment. In light of the issues raised by the defendant, the motion to reinspect the stenographic minutes of the Grand Jury is granted. The further request that the Grand Jury testimony of Debra Rogers be released to defense counsel is denied. The court finds that the release of her testimony is not necessary to assist the court in making its determination of the merits of the instant motion. (GPL 210.30, subd 3.)

DISMISSAL OF INDICTMENT ON GROUND OF THE INSUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO THE GRAND JURY

Defendant argues that the evidence adduced before the Grand Jury was not legally sufficient to establish that the defendant “abducted” or “restrained” Debra Rogers as those terms are defined in the Penal Law. Relying upon a written statement of the complainant, Debra Rogers, attached to the felony complaint and other information available to him, he contends that she (1) entered the defendant’s vehicle voluntarily; (2) was not surreptitiously taken away, by force or threat; (3) was never held or secreted in any place located within Suffolk County; and (4) was never subjected to or threatened with the use of deadly physical force at any time.

Count No. 1 of the indictment reads: “The defendants, each aiding the other, on or about May 14,1983, in Suffolk County, abducted Debra Rogers, and restrained Debra Rogers for a period of more than twelve hours with intent to violate and abuse her sexually.”

[541]*541Count No. 2 of the indictment reads: “The defendants, each aiding the other, on or about May 14,1983, in Suffolk County, abducted Debra Rogers, and restrained Debra Rogers for a period of more than twelve hours with intent to accomplish and advance the commission of a felony, to wit, Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree.”

The evidence presented to the Grand Jury was legally sufficient, if accepted as true, to establish every element of the crimes of kidnapping in the first degree in violation of section 135.25 (subd 2, pars [a], [b]) of the Penal Law and clearly established that the alleged victim, Debra Rogers, was both abducted and restrained as each of those terms is defined by the Penal Law. There has been no clear showing by the defendant that the evidence before the Grand Jury, if unexplained and uncontradicted, would not warrant conviction by a trial jury. (People v Dunleavy, 41 AD2d 717, affd 33 NY2d 573.)

“ ‘Abduct’ means to restrain a person with intent to prevent his liberation by either (a) secreting or holding him in a place where he is not likely to be found, or (b) using or threatening to use deadly physical force.” (Penal Law, § 135.00, subd 2.) The term “abduct” is an extremely serious form of the broader term “restrain”, the definition of which is expressly incorporated by reference therein, savoring strongly of the substantial removal, isolation and/or violence usually associated with genuine kidnapping. (Hechtman, Practice Commentaries, McKinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 35, Penal Law, § 135.00, p 493.)

As it applies to this case, “ ‘Restrain’ means to restrict a person’s movements intentionally and unlawfully in such manner as to interfere substantially with his liberty by moving him from one place to another, or by confining him either in the place where the restriction commences or in a place to which he has been moved, without consent and with knowledge that the restriction is unlawful. A person is so moved or confined ‘without consent’ when such is accomplished by * * * physical force, intimidation or deception”. (Penal Law, § 135.00, subd 1, par [a]; emphasis added.)

Essential to the commission of the crime of kidnapping is the requirement that it occur against the will, or at least [542]*542without the consent, of the victim. (Marks and Paperno, Criminal Law in NY [2d ed], § 233, p 285.) This requirement is reflected in the Penal Law which provides that the movement or confinement of a person “without consent” may be accomplished by physical force, intimidation or deception. Thus, asportation of the victim, which is a necessary element of kidnapping (People v Levy, 15 NY2d 159, 164), may be accomplished by trick or device, and in the first instance, there need not be a resort to physical force or intimidation.

The evidence adduced before the Grand Jury, if accepted as true, certainly established that the confinement and subsequent movement of Debra Rogers was not accomplished with her consent, but was the product of a successful and deceptive “ruse” employed by the defendant and his accomplice to lure her into his control.'

The uncontradicted and unexplained evidence presented to the Grand Jury reveals that the defendant, Ferdinand Valero, aided by the codefendant, Tiffany Collins, encountered Debra Rogers outside a 7-Eleven store near her home in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County, and falsely offered her $10 to babysit their infant child who was present for a half hour. She was asked to accompany them in their car to their home nearby, and was expressly and repeatedly assured that she would be able to telephone her mother upon arrival at the defendant’s home. If Debra Rogers had known that their true purpose was to abuse her sexually and to exploit her services as a prostitute in New York City, which was later disclosed to her by the defendants, it is reasonable to conclude that she would not have voluntarily left with them. Her initial .confinement and subsequent movement from the 7-Eleven store in Lindenhurst was accomplished by means of a cleverly concocted deception which overcame her ability to consent, or to voluntarily join the defendants. (Penal Law, § 135.00, subd 1, par [a].) If such a scenario is left unexplained and uncontradicted at trial, and if the trial jury accepts this evidence as true, the jury could conclude that the victim was “restrained” by means of such deception.

Once deceptively lured into the defendant’s vehicle, the victim, seated in the front seat between the two defen[543]*543dants, was then transported through Suffolk County, and eventually was confined under threat in an apartment located in Queens County where she was rescued by law enforcement officials one week later from the custody of the defendants. Clearly, while in the defendant’s vehicle and apartment, she was secreted and held in a place where she was not likely to be found. Her freedom to move was intentionally restricted by this defendant who was aware that his restrictive conduct was unlawful, and who utilized deception, threats and violence to abduct and restrain his victim.

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People v. Valero
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134 A.D.2d 607 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1987)
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Bluebook (online)
120 Misc. 2d 539, 466 N.Y.S.2d 600, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-valero-nycountyct-1983.