| People v Cotsifas |
| 2012 NY Slip Op 08148 [100 AD3d 1015] |
| November 28, 2012 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| The People of the State of New York,Respondent, v Leonidas Cotsifas, Appellant. |
—[*1] Kathleen M. Rice, District Attorney, Mineola, N.Y. (Lisa T. Fleischer and Kevin C. King ofcounsel), for respondent.
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Sullivan,J.), rendered January 25, 2011, convicting him of assault in the first degree, burglary in the firstdegree (two counts), burglary in the second degree (three counts), grand larceny in the thirddegree, criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, attempted grand larceny in thethird degree, unlawful imprisonment in the first degree, petit larceny (two counts), possession ofburglar's tools, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, unauthorized use of a vehicle in thethird degree, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourthdegree, and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, upon a jury verdict, andimposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing, of those branchesof the defendant's omnibus motion which were to suppress physical evidence, identificationtestimony, and certain of his statements to law enforcement officials.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
The record supports the hearing court's determinations that the People established that thepolice had reasonable suspicion to detain the defendant and that the reasonable suspicion ripenedinto probable cause to place him under arrest (see People v Mobley, 58 AD3d 756, 756-757 [2009]). Accordingly,the hearing court properly denied those branches of the defendant's omnibus motion which wereto suppress physical evidence, identification testimony, and certain of his statements to lawenforcement officials.
The Supreme Court properly denied the defendant's request for a charge on the justificationdefense with respect to the charge of assault in the first degree, since no reasonable view of theevidence supported such a charge (see People v Watts, 57 NY2d 299, 301 [1982]).Viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant, the evidence was not sufficient to support afinding that the victim, rather than the defendant, was the "initial aggressor" (Penal Law §35.15 [1] [b]; see CJI2d[NY] Justification: Use of Physical Force in Defense of a Person[definition of "initial aggressor"]; CJI2d[NY] Justification: Use of Deadly Physical Force inDefense of a Person [definition of "initial aggressor"]). In any event, the defendant's use ofdeadly force against the victim would not have been justified since no rational view of theevidence would permit a jury to conclude that the [*2]defendantsatisfied his duty to retreat (see Penal Law § 35.15 [2] [a]; People v McGhee, 4 AD3d 485,486 [2004]; People v Powell, 181 AD2d 923 [1992]).
The sentence imposed was not excessive (see People v Suitte, 90 AD2d 80 [1982]).Florio, J.P., Leventhal, Austin and Roman, JJ., concur.