People v. Warren

198 A.D.3d 934

156 N.Y.S.3d 346

The PEOPLE, etc., respondent,

v.Charles WARREN, appellant.

2016–06936

Ind. No. 1909/11

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Argued—September 27, 2021

October 20, 2021

Patricia Pazner, New York, N.Y. (Ronald Zapata of counsel), for appellant, and appellant pro se.

Melinda Katz, District Attorney, Kew Gardens, N.Y. (Johnnette Traill, Joseph N. Ferdenzi, and Christopher Blira–Koessler of counsel), for respondent.

SYLVIA O. HINDS–RADIX, J.P., VALERIE BRATHWAITE NELSON, ANGELA G. IANNACCI, JOSEPH A. ZAYAS, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Kenneth C. Holder, J.), rendered June 16, 2016, convicting him of burglary in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree (four counts), assault in the second degree (three counts), attempted robbery in the second degree, and attempted sexual abuse in the first degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing, of those branches of the defendant's omnibus motion which were to suppress identification evidence and to sever certain counts of the indictment.

ORDERED that the judgment is modified, on the law and as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice, (1) by reducing the conviction of sexual abuse in the first degree under count 3 of the indictment to sexual abuse in the third degree, and vacating the sentence imposed thereon, and (2) by vacating the conviction of sexual abuse in the first degree under count 10 of the indictment, vacating the sentence imposed thereon, and dismissing that count of the indictment; as so modified, the judgment is affirmed, and the matter is remitted to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for sentencing on the conviction of sexual abuse in the third degree.

The defendant contends that his conviction of sexual abuse in the first degree under count 3 of the indictment is based upon legally insufficient evidence. Although his contention is unpreserved for appellate review (see CPL 470.05[2] ; People v. Hawkins, 11 N.Y.3d 484, 492, 872 N.Y.S.2d 395, 900 N.E.2d 946 ), we exercise our power to review it as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice (see CPL 470.15[6][a] ).

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932 ), we find that it was legally insufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt of sexual abuse in the first degree under count 3 of the indictment. A person is guilty of sexual abuse in the first degree when he or she subjects another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion (see Penal Law § 130.65[1] ). Here, the evidence adduced at trial established that no force separate from the contact itself was used to compel the contact alleged under count 3 of the indictment (see People v. Mack, 18 N.Y.3d 929, 932, 942 N.Y.S.2d 457, 965 N.E.2d 959 ). However, the evidence presented did establish the crime of sexual abuse in the third degree, which requires only that the sexual contact occur without the victim's consent (see Penal Law § 130.55 ). Accordingly, we reduce the defendant's conviction of sexual abuse in the first degree under count 3 of the indictment to sexual abuse in the third degree, vacate the sentence imposed on that conviction, and remit the matter to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for the imposition of an authorized sentence for that offense (see CPL 470.15[2][a] ; People v. Sirno, 151 A.D.2d 621, 622, 542 N.Y.S.2d 368 ).

Contrary to the People's contention, the defendant preserved for appellate review his claim that the counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, as charged in counts 9 and 10 of the indictment, are multiplicitous (see People v. Jagdharry, 118 A.D.3d 722, 723, 987 N.Y.S.2d 91 ). An indictment is multiplicitous when a single offense is charged in more than one count (see People v. Alonzo, 16 N.Y.3d 267, 269, 920 N.Y.S.2d 302, 945 N.E.2d 495 ). Here, count 10 of the indictment is multiplicitous of count 9. Although the counts involved sexual contact to two distinct parts of the body, "there was ‘but a single, uninterrupted occurrence of forcible compulsion’ " ( id. at 270, 920 N.Y.S.2d 302, 945 N.E.2d 495, quoting People v. Moffitt, 20 A.D.3d 687, 690, 798 N.Y.S.2d 556 ). Accordingly, the Supreme Court should have dismissed count 10 as multiplicitous of count 9 of the indictment.

The defendant's contention that the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction of burglary in the first degree is without merit. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we find that there was legally sufficient evidence to establish that the defendant lacked license or privilege to enter the subject premises (see Matter of Arel J., 136 A.D.3d 913, 914, 26 N.Y.S.3d 290 ; Matter of Lonique M., 93 A.D.3d 203, 207, 939 N.Y.S.2d 341 ; People v. Thornton, 4 A.D.3d 561, 562, 771 N.Y.S.2d 597 ). Moreover, in fulfilling our responsibility to conduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence (see CPL 470.15[5] ; People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1 ), we nevertheless accord great deference to the jury's opportunity to view the witnesses, hear the testimony, and observe demeanor (see People v. Mateo, 2 N.Y.3d 383, 410, 779 N.Y.S.2d 399, 811 N.E.2d 1053 ; People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672 ). Upon reviewing the record here, we are satisfied that the defendant's conviction of burglary in the first degree was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v. Romero, 7 N.Y.3d 633, 826 N.Y.S.2d 163, 859 N.E.2d 902 ).

The...