| People v Maxwell |
| 2011 NY Slip Op 08777 [89 AD3d 1106] |
| November 29, 2011 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v EugeneMaxwell, Appellant. |
—[*1] Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove and Amy Appelbaum ofcounsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Dowling, J.),rendered July 18, 2007, convicting him of murder in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, andimposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing, of that branch of thedefendant's omnibus motion which was to suppress certain statements made to law enforcementauthorities. Presiding Justice Prudenti has been substituted for former Justice Covello (see 22NYCRR 670.1 [c]).
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
Although the defendant contends that the prosecutor made various remarks during summationwhich deprived him of a fair trial by, inter alia, appealing to the jurors' sympathies and violating theunsworn witness rule, he failed to preserve that contention for appeal (see CPL 470.05 [2];People v Butts, 279 AD2d 587, 587-588 [2001]). In any event, "most of the challengedremarks were within the broad bounds of rhetorical comment permissible in closing arguments, faircomment on the evidence, or responsive to arguments and theories presented in the defensesummation" (People v Smalls, 65 AD3d708 [2009]). The defendant's additional contention that the prosecutor's remarks duringsummation improperly shifted the burden of proof is without merit (see People v Annakie, 47 AD3d 943, 944 [2008]). Furthermore, anyerror that resulted from the remainder of the challenged remarks does not require reversal.
Contrary to the defendant's contention raised in his pro se supplemental brief, the Supreme Courtproperly denied that branch of the defendant's omnibus motion which was to suppress certainstatements he made to law enforcement authorities after he was arrested. The statements, whichincluded the defendant's assertion that "it did not matter anyway, he was going to spend the rest of hislife in jail and he was going to leave it in God's hands," were spontaneous and voluntary (see Peoplev Porter, 251 AD2d 601 [1998]; cf.People v Timmons, 54 AD3d 883, 884-885 [2008]).
The defendant contends in his pro se supplemental brief that the evidence was legally insufficient toprove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence.Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see People v [*2]Contes, 60 NY2d 620 [1983]), we find that it was legally sufficientto establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, in fulfilling our responsibility toconduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence (see CPL 470.15 [5]; People v Danielson, 9 NY3d 342[2007]), we nevertheless accord great deference to the jury's opportunity to view the witnesses, hearthe testimony, and observe demeanor (see People v Mateo, 2 NY3d 383, 410 [2004],cert denied 542 US 946 [2004]; People v Bleakley, 69 NY2d 490, 495 [1987]).Upon reviewing the record here, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight ofthe evidence (see People v Romero, 7NY3d 633 [2006]).
The defendant's remaining contentions, including those raised in his pro se supplemental brief, arewithout merit. Prudenti, P.J., Florio, Eng and Chambers, JJ., concur.