| People v Brown |
| 2007 NY Slip Op 08086 [44 AD3d 965] |
| October 23, 2007 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v JasonBrown, Appellant. |
—[*1] Janet DiFiore, District Attorney, White Plains, N.Y. (David C. Pilato, Lois C. Valerio, andAnthony J. Servino of counsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Westchester County(Zambelli, J.), rendered April 26, 2005, convicting him of criminal sale of a controlled substancein the third degree (four counts), criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree(four counts), and criminal sale of marijuana in the fourth degree, upon a jury verdict, andimposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
The defendant was charged with possession and sale of crack cocaine and marijuana on fouroccasions in July and August of 2004. Upon the exercise of our factual review power (seeCPL 470.15 [5]), we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of theevidence (see People v Romero, 7NY3d 633, 644-645 [2006]; Peoplev Santos, 42 AD3d 578 [2007]; People v Williams, 39 AD3d 776 [2007]).
In light of the defense theory of misidentification, defense counsel's stipulation as to thechain of custody of the controlled substance, and the testimony identifying it as such, was atactical choice which did not give rise to a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel (seePeople v Alexander, 255 AD2d 708 [1998]; People v Rodriguez, 186 AD2d 838[1992]; People v Cox, 146 AD2d 795, 796-797 [1989]).[*2]
Since the defendant offered no proof that he had tattooson his arms on the date of the drug transaction, the denial of his request to display his arms to thejury in order to rebut the identification testimony was a proper exercise of the trial court'sdiscretion (see People v Rodriguez, 64 NY2d 738, 741 [1984]; People v Miles, 8 AD3d 758[2004]; People v Shields, 81 AD2d 870 [1981]). Schmidt, J.P., Fisher, Lifson and Carni,JJ., concur.