| People v Rosado |
| 2012 NY Slip Op 04919 [96 AD3d 547] |
| June 19, 2012 |
| Appellate Division, First Department |
| The People of the State of New York,Respondent, v Vincent Rosado, Appellant. |
—[*1] Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., District Attorney, New York (Allen J. Vickey of counsel), forrespondent.
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Robert M. Stolz, J.), rendered April 6, 2009,convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of two counts of criminal possession of a controlledsubstance in the seventh degree, and sentencing him to concurrent terms of nine months,reversed, as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice, and the matter remanded for furtherproceedings.
The evidence in this case met all the conditions for instructing the jury on the drug factorypresumption (Penal Law § 220.25 [2]). Although stored in containers filled with rice toprevent deterioration due to moisture, the 95 glassines of cocaine and heroin were clearly visible,and were thus in open view. Defendant was observed in close proximity to the drugs and all ofthe circumstances evinced the presence of a drug operation preparing drugs for sale.
However, defendant argues that even if the instruction was proper with regard to the chargeof third-degree possession, which in this case required intent to sell, the jury should have beeninstructed that the presumption did not apply to the charge of seventh-degree possession, whichrequires only simple possession. Defendant argues that the presumption was only intended toapply to possession charges containing a weight or intent element, not simple possession charges.
The issue was highlighted by the jury's inquiry whether the "definition of room presumptionand constructive possession" applied "equally to the charges of possession in the third degree andthe seventh degree." The court answered that question in the affirmative, without objection bydefense counsel. Thus, defendant's current argument is unpreserved.
Nevertheless, we reach the question in the interest of justice in order to clarify the scope ofthe drug factory presumption. The underlying purpose of the drug factory presumption is to holdcriminally responsible those participants in a drug operation who may not be observed in actualphysical possession of drugs at the moment the police arrive (see Donnino, PracticeCommentary, McKinney's Cons Laws of NY, Book 39, Penal Law § 220.25; People vTejada, 183 AD2d 500, 502 [1992], affd 81 NY2d 861 [1993]). We note thatdefendant was acquitted of the third degree possession counts. We do not believe that the drugfactory presumption was intended to apply to seventh-degree possession, because implicit in theidea of a drug factory is [*2]that drugs are being prepared for sale.Therefore it should only apply to crimes requiring intent to sell, or crimes involving amounts ofdrugs greater than what is required for misdemeanor possession (see generallyMcKinney's Cons Laws of NY, Book 1, Statutes § 111).
However, even without the presumption, the verdict was based on legally sufficient evidenceand was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v Bundy, 90 NY2d 918, 920[1997]). Therefore, the appropriate remedy is a new trial. Concur—Gonzalez, P.J., Acostaand Renwick, JJ.
Saxe and Sweeny, JJ., dissent in a memorandum by Sweeny, J., as follows: I dissent.
The majority concedes that a challenge to the room presumption was neverpreserved.[FN*]As my colleagues also concede that the verdict was legally sufficient and not against the weightof the evidence, the only basis to review this conviction is in the interest of justice. Such reviewis not warranted under the facts of this case.
Pursuant to the execution of a no-knock warrant, the police entered the small apartment andimmediately saw defendant coming out of the bedroom. Ignoring a call to stop, defendant raninto the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Having to break open the door, the police founddefendant "hovering" over the toilet. Placed under arrest, the police found $550 on his person indenominations of 20 and 100 dollar bills.
Then, upon entering the "small" bedroom from where defendant had fled, the police saw, inplain view, among other items, two plastic containers that held glassine envelopes encased inrice. Looking into the open bedroom closet they saw an additional clear plastic container with asee-through lid, also with glassine envelopes encased in rice. A total of 95 glassines of cocaineand heroin were recovered. In the bedroom closet, the police also found clothing that fitdefendant.
The discretionary act to vacate a conviction in the interest of justice is to be "exercisedsparingly and only in that rare and unusual case where it cries out for fundamental justice beyondthe confines of conventional considerations" (People v Harmon, 181 AD2d 34, 36 [1992][internal quotation marks omitted]; CPL 470.15 [6] [a]). Contrary to the majority's position,interest of justice review is neither warranted nor appropriate in this case.
The majority argues that interest of justice review is needed "in order to clarify the scope ofthe drug factory presumption." This is a curious position since, as noted, this issue was neitherraised or preserved for our review at trial. Indeed, precedential cases involving interest of justicereview make clear that such review applies on a case-by-case basis, individually and is notdesigned or intended to be used for statutory interpretation (see People v Harmon, 181AD2d at 36; see also CPL 210.40). By way of analogy, considering whether to dismiss anindictment in the interest of justice, the factors set forth in CPL 210.20 are "all inclusive"(People v Cileli, 137 AD2d 829, 829 [1988]) and reflect a "sensitive balance between the[*3]individual and the State" (People v Clayton,41 AD2d 204, 208 [1973]; see People v Reyes, 174 AD2d 87, 89 [1992]). Therefore, thebasic premise of the majority that an issue, not preserved for our review, should in any event bereviewed in the interest of justice to "clarify" a legal presumption stands on dubious grounds.
To accept this reasoning would mean that interest of justice review is now available in anycase to review any issue, whether fundamental or not, which has either been waived or notpreserved at the trial level. Such a procedure is patently unfair to the trial bench who will now beleft with the task of ensuring that any potential issue, even those that may be waived as part ofcounsel's trial strategy, must be taken into consideration in formulating jury instructions.
In fact, the majority's position today does away with the long-standing principle of thenecessity to preserve issues by objection at trial. In People v Ivey (204 AD2d 16 [1994],affd 86 NY2d 10 [1995]), we held: "defendant's failure to register any objection to thecharge . . . or to request any jury instructions that would have directed the [trial]court's attention to his current complaint . . . renders the claim unpreserved andforecloses this Court's consideration of it as a matter of law" (204 AD2d at 19). Significantly, wewent on to hold: "Nor should we reach the issue in the interest of justice since, had scienter beenan issue at trial, the People might well have been able to present their evidence in a way thatwould have satisfied that element of the crime" (id.). The object of preservation, ofcourse, is to avoid the situation which the majority now creates. As the Court of Appeals noted inPeople v Gray (86 NY2d 10, 20-21 [1995]): "The preservation rule is necessary forseveral reasons . . . The chief purpose of demanding notice through objection ormotion in a trial court, as with any specific objection, is to bring the claim to the trial court'sattention . . . [and] might provide the opportunity for cure before a verdict isreached . . . Second, a timely objection alerts all parties to alleged deficiencies inthe evidence and advances the truth-seeking purpose of the trial."
The majority's position does just the opposite. Not only was there no objection to the chargeas it related to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, but there wasan affirmative agreement by defendant that the charge was proper.
The majority reveals its real reason for invoking an interest of justice review when it statesthat "[w]e do not believe that the drug factory presumption was intended to apply toseventh-degree possession." However, if the majority truly believes that to be the case, then theproper remedy would be to reverse and dismiss, not reverse and remand for a new trial. Either thepresumption applies, as the trial court (and defendant) asserted, or it does not, as the majoritycontends. If it does apply, then it is a nonissue and should not be reviewed by this Court. If itdoes not apply, then there is nothing to retry.
Essentially, the majority is utilizing our power to reverse in the interest of justice (CPL470.15 [6]) to treat this case through the prism of a CPL 210.40 motion to dismiss in the interestof justice. The rub, however, is that this particular case, and this particular defendant, do notpresent "that rare and unusual case where it cries out for fundamental justice beyond the confinesof conventional considerations" (People v Harmon, 181 AD2d at 36 [internal quotationmarks omitted]). Interest of justice review is properly designed for a limited purpose both bystatute and precedent. This case presents nothing that even remotely lends itself to the exercise ofthat review power.
In view of the facts presented, including defendant's close proximity to the drugs that [*4]were recovered, the amount of money and denominations in hispocket, and his actions upon the entry of the police into the apartment, "the inference thatdefendant was, at least, a participant in a drug-selling operation and constructive possessor of thedrugs, rather than a customer or visitor" is clearly warranted (People v Jones, 72 AD3d 452 [2010], lv denied 15 NY3d806 [2010]). These facts, coupled with defendant's failure to preserve the issue for review, notonly fail to support the exercise of our discretion to review in the interest of justice, but actuallymilitate against such exercise.
The conviction should be affirmed.
Footnote *: Defendant's counsel not only didnot object to the subsequent charge but even agreed with the court that the presumption appliedto 3rd degree and 7th degree.