People v. Ashcroft, 9087.

Decision Date17 October 2006
Docket Number9087.
PartiesTHE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. ESCHELL ASHCROFT, Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

The court properly denied defendant's suppression motion. There was no violation of Payton v New York (445 US 573 [1980]). After the police identified themselves and asked to speak with him, defendant, who had minutes earlier made a sale to an undercover officer, voluntarily opened his door. The police did not violate defendant's Fourth Amendment rights when they reached in and pulled him out as he stood in close proximity to his doorway, since, by his actions, defendant knowingly and voluntarily presented himself for public view (see United States v Santana, 427 US 38, 42-43 [1976]; People v Rosario, 179 AD2d 442 [1992], lv denied 79 NY2d 1053 [1992]; People v Nonni, 141 AD2d 862, 863 [1988], lv denied 72 NY2d 960 [1988]; see also People v Kozlowski, 69 NY2d 761 [1987]; compare People v Levan, 62 NY2d 139, 145 [1984]).

When a prospective juror initially revealed a state of mind that might preclude impartial service, the trial court obtained an unequivocal assurance of the panelist's commitment to follow an instruction that no adverse inference was to be drawn from defendant's failure to testify. Viewed in context, his use of the phrase "I think so" was not disqualifying (see People v Chambers, 97 NY2d 417, 419 [2002]), and we do not interpret the phrasing of his final remark as undermining the unequivocal assurance he had just given.

Concur — Buckley, P.J., Mazzarelli, Marlow, Sullivan and Gonzalez, JJ.

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7 cases
  • People v. Garvin
    • United States
    • New York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • October 24, 2017
    ...our application thereof in People v. Levan, 62 N.Y.2d 139, 476 N.Y.S.2d 101, 464 N.E.2d 469 (1984) ; but see People v. Ashcroft, 33 A.D.3d 429, 429, 823 N.Y.S.2d 23 (1st Dept.2006) ("The police did not violate defendant's Fourth Amendment rights when they reached in and pulled him out as he......
  • People v. Garvin
    • United States
    • New York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • October 24, 2017
    ...our application thereof in People v. Levan, 62 N.Y.2d 139, 476 N.Y.S.2d 101, 464 N.E.2d 469 (1984) ; but see People v. Ashcroft, 33 A.D.3d 429, 429, 823 N.Y.S.2d 23 (1st Dept.2006) ("The police did not violate defendant's Fourth Amendment rights when they reached in and pulled him out as he......
  • People v. Spencer
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • January 26, 2016
    ...100 S.Ct. 1371, 63 L.Ed.2d 639 (1980) because defendant knowingly and voluntarily presented himself for public view (People v. Ashcroft, 33 A.D.3d 429, 429, 823 N.Y.S.2d 23 1st Dept.2006, lv. denied 8 N.Y.3d 843, 830 N.Y.S.2d 702, 862 N.E.2d 794 2007, cert. denied 552 U.S. 829, 128 S.Ct. 49......
  • People v. Poinvil
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Term
    • April 3, 2015
    ...Quagliata, 53 A.D.3d at 670, 861 N.Y.S.2d 792 ; People v. Folkes, 43 A.D.3d 956, 841 N.Y.S.2d 365 [2007] ; People v. Ashcroft, 33 A.D.3d 429, 823 N.Y.S.2d 23 [2006] ; see also People v. Diviesti, 101 A.D.3d 1163, 1163–1164, 955 N.Y.S.2d 268 [2012] ; cf. People v. Riffas, 120 A.D.3d 1438, 99......
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