| People v Miller |
| 2008 NY Slip Op 09624 [57 AD3d 568] |
| December 2, 2008 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v RonaldMiller, Appellant. |
—[*1] Adam B. Levy, District Attorney, Carmel, N.Y. (Mary Jane MacCrae of counsel), forrespondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Putnam County (Miller, J.),rendered May 26, 2004, convicting him of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the firstdegree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, and unlawful possession ofmarijuana, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, aftera hearing, of those branches of the defendant's omnibus motion which were to suppress physicalevidence and his statements to law enforcement officials.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
The defendant's contention that the evidence was not legally sufficient to prove his guilt beyond areasonable doubt because the accomplice's testimony was uncorroborated is without merit. The Peoplemet their burden of demonstrating sufficient independent evidence tending to connect the defendant tothe crimes charged (see People v Besser, 96 NY2d 136, 143-144 [2001]).
In fulfilling our responsibility to conduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence(see CPL 470.15 [5]; People vDanielson, 9 NY3d 342 [2007]), we nevertheless accord great deference to the jury'sopportunity to view the witnesses, hear the testimony, and observe demeanor (see People vMateo, 2 NY3d 383, 410 [2004], cert denied 542 US 946 [2004]; People vBleakley, 69 NY2d 490, 495 [1987]). Upon reviewing the record here, we are satisfied that theverdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence (see [*2]People v Romero, 7 NY3d 633[2006]).
Contrary to the defendant's contention, there was no improper delegation of judicial authority, andthe defendant's presence was not required, when the court clerk spoke to the jurors to tell them tocommence deliberations in the morning, after they had been sequestered for the evening. The courtclerk did not deliver any instructions to the jurors concerning the mode or subject of their deliberations.The court clerk did not attempt to convey any legal instructions to the jurors, or instruct them as to itsduties or obligations (see People v Bonaparte, 78 NY2d 26 [1991]; People v Vasquez, 2 AD3d 759[2003]).
Contrary to the defendant's contention, the court's charge was sufficient to convey to the jury thatthe automobile presumption in Penal Law § 220.25 (1) was permissive and not mandatory(see People v Lowery, 232 AD2d 581 [1996]; People v Parks, 199 AD2d 426[1993]).
The defendant's contention that the hearing court erred in denying that branch of his omnibusmotion which was to suppress evidence obtained as a result of a traffic stop is without merit. Thedecision to stop an automobile is reasonable where the police have probable cause to believe that atraffic violation has occurred (see People v Robinson, 97 NY2d 341, 348-349 [2001]; People v Sluszka, 15 AD3d 421[2005]). Here, the defendant was stopped based on a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law §1180 (a), which states that no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable andprudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. Thetestimony of a State Trooper at the suppression hearing was that the defendant was traveling at animprudent speed, given the hazardous weather conditions. The hearing court credited that testimony.The resolution of issues of credibility by a hearing court is entitled to great deference on appeal, and willnot be disturbed unless it is clearly unsupported by the record (see People v Dickerson, 45 AD3d 778 [2007]). The record supportsthe court's determination that the Trooper's testimony was credible. Furthermore, the court did not errin denying the defendant's application to reopen the suppression hearing, as the defendant failed toshow that additional pertinent facts had been discovered that would have affected the court's ultimatedetermination of the issue of probable cause (see CPL 710.40 [4]; People v John, 38 AD3d 568 [2007]).
The defendant's contention concerning comments made by the prosecutor during summation isunpreserved for appellate review, as he raised only a general objection to the challenged comments andfailed to move for a mistrial on that ground (see People v Brown, 48 AD3d 590 [2008]). In any event, theprosecutor's comments either were responsive to defense counsel's argument, were fair comment onthe evidence, or otherwise remained within the broad bounds of rhetorical comment permissible inclosing argument (see People v Holmes,47 AD3d 946 [2008]).
The defendant's contention in his supplemental pro se brief that trial counsel was ineffective iswithout merit. The evidence, the law, and the circumstances, viewed in totality and as of the time of therepresentation, reveal that trial counsel provided meaningful representation (see People v Argueta, 46 AD3d 46[2007]).
The defendant's contention in his supplemental pro se brief regarding the court's instructions to thejury is unpreserved for appellate review, and in any event, is without merit.
The defendant's remaining contentions in his supplemental pro se brief are without merit. Mastro,J.P., Skelos, Balkin and Belen, JJ., concur.