People v Gonzalez
2010 NY Slip Op 00985 [70 AD3d 855]
February 9, 2010
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, March 31, 2010


The People of the State of New York,Respondent,
v
Alberto Gonzalez, Appellant.

[*1]Lynn W. L. Fahey, New York, N.Y. (Steven R. Bernhard of counsel), for appellant.Richard A. Brown, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (John M. Castellano, JeanetteLifschitz, and Jaclyn Belson of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Lasak, J.),rendered September 5, 2007, convicting him of burglary in the second degree (two counts), upona jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant contends that because all of the evidence in the case was circumstantial, theSupreme Court should have given a circumstantial evidence charge to the jury. However, sincethe defendant did not request such a charge, or object to the charge as given, his contention isunpreserved for appellate review (see CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Reyes, 45 AD3d 785,786 [2007]). In any event, "this represents the exceptional case where the failure to give thecircumstantial evidence charge was harmless error" (People v Brian, 84 NY2d 887, 889[1994]; see People v Lopez, 28AD3d 234, 235 [2006]).

The defendant was not deprived of the effective assistance of counsel, as defense counselprovided meaningful representation (see People v Benevento, 91 NY2d 708, 712 [1998];People v Baldi, 54 NY2d 137, 147 [1981]; People v Lopez, 28 AD3d at 235).Dillon, J.P., Covello, Miller and Chambers, JJ., concur.


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