| People v Hicks |
| 2011 NY Slip Op 04702 [84 AD3d 1402] |
| May 31, 2011 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| The People of the State of New York,Respondent, v Veronica Hicks, Appellant. |
—[*1] Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove and Diane R. Eisner ofcounsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (D'Emic J.),rendered March 4, 2009, convicting her of assault in the first degree and aggravated criminalcontempt, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
The Supreme Court's ruling pursuant to People v Sandoval (34 NY2d 371 [1974])was a provident exercise of discretion. The court struck an acceptable balance between thePeople's need to utilize probative evidence and the rights of the defendant (see People v DiBella, 277 AD2d 699, 701-702 [2000]). The defendant failed to meet her burden ofdemonstrating that the prejudicial effect of admission of the facts underlying her prior assaultconviction so outweighed the probative value of that evidence as to her credibility that preclusionwas warranted (see People v Sandoval, 34 NY2d at 378; see also People vMackey, 49 NY2d 274, 282 [1980]; People v Myron, 28 AD3d 681, 683 [2006],cert denied 549 US 1326 [2007]). The mere fact that a previous crime is similar in natureto a crime presently charged does not warrant preclusion (see People v Myron, 28 AD3dat 683).
The Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in denying the defendant's motion fora mistrial after a witness made brief references to the defendant having stabbed the victim on aprevious occasion. " 'The decision to declare a mistrial rests within the sound discretion of thetrial court, which is in the best position to determine if this drastic remedy is necessary to protectthe defendant's right to a fair trial' " (People v Redmon, 81 AD3d 752, 752 [2011],quoting People v Brown, 76 AD3d 532, 533 [2010]; see People v Ortiz, 54 NY2d288, 292 [1981]). The Supreme Court struck the improper testimony from the record and directedthe jury to disregard it, thereby ameliorating any prejudice to the defendant resulting from thetestimony (see People v Brescia, 41 AD3d 613, 613-614 [2007]; People v Brown,290 AD2d 251 [2002]).
Contrary to the defendant's contention, her arrest photographs were properly admitted intoevidence, as they were relevant under the circumstances and did not prejudice her (see Peoplev Logan, 25 NY2d 184, 195-196 [1969], cert denied 396 US 1020 [1970]; Peoplev Di Bella, 277 AD2d at 702). The defendant's claim that the prosecutor violated her FifthAmendment right to remain silent by attributing communicative value to her act of smiling in oneof the arrest photographs is unpreserved for appellate [*2]review.In any event, evidence of the defendant's guilt, without reference to the alleged error, wasoverwhelming, and there is no reasonable possibility that the alleged error might havecontributed to the defendant's conviction. Thus, any error was harmless beyond a reasonabledoubt (see People v Crimmins, 36 NY2d 230, 237 [1975]; People v Baily, 216AD2d 1 [1995]; see generally People v Basora, 75 NY2d 992, 993-994 [1990]). Mastro,J.P., Dickerson, Chambers and Roman, JJ., concur.