People v Fortune
2010 NY Slip Op 01505 [70 AD3d 964]
February 16, 2010
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, March 31, 2010


The People of the State of New York,Respondent,
v
Shomari Fortune, Appellant.

[*1]Lynn W.L. Fahey, New York, N.Y. (Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP [Jonathan K.Youngwood and Chad H. Atlas], of counsel), for appellant.

Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., District Attorney, Staten Island, N.Y. (Morrie I. Kleinbart and AnneGrady of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Richmond County(Rooney, J.), rendered October 27, 2006, convicting him of criminal possession of a weapon inthe third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in precluding the defendant fromcalling a witness at trial to present certain evidence since the only purpose of the evidence wouldhave been to impeach the credibility of the arresting police officers on a collateral matter (seePeople v Alvino, 71 NY2d 233, 247-248 [1987]; People v Fowler, 61 AD3d 698,698 [2009]; People v Rendon, 301 AD2d 665 [2003]; People v Ragland, 240AD2d 598 [1997]).

Contrary to the defendant's contention, the prosecutor's comments during summation did notdeprive him of a fair trial, as they were a fair response to the defendant's attack on the credibilityof the police witnesses (see People v Galloway, 54 NY2d 396 [1981]; People vAvila, 69 AD3d 642 [2010]; People v Robinson, 63 AD3d 531, 532 [2009];People v Barnes, 33 AD3d 811 [2006]; People v Vaughn, 209 AD2d 459[1994]).

The sentence imposed was not excessive (see People v Suitte, 90 AD2d 80 [1982]).Santucci, J.P., Dickerson, Chambers and Sgroi, JJ., concur.


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