People v. Barker

Decision Date13 August 1979
PartiesThe PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Henry BARKER, Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Chester L. Mirsky, New York City (Abigail Everett and Mary Horwitz, law students, on brief), for appellant.

Eugene Gold, Dist. Atty., Brooklyn (Richard S. Miller, Brooklyn, of counsel), for respondent.

Before TITONE, J. P., and MARGETT, MARTUSCELLO and MANGANO, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

Appeal by defendant (by permission) from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County, dated July 7, 1978, which denied without a hearing his motion pursuant to CPL 440.10 (subd. 1, par. (h)) to vacate a judgment of the same court, rendered June 6, 1975, convicting him, upon a plea of guilty, of felony murder.

Order affirmed.

Defendant was indicted for felony murder and, upon advice of counsel, pleaded guilty to that charge on March 12, 1975. Defendant's motion to withdraw the guilty plea on the ground that he had been inadequately represented by counsel at an earlier Huntley hearing was argued May 30, 1975, and then denied. While an appeal from the judgment rendered upon the plea was pending, defendant escaped from the Rikers Island House of Detention on August 13, 1975, and this court, on December 5, 1977, dismissed the appeal with prejudice. Defendant was arrested in Florida on January 27, 1978, two and one-half years after his escape, and moved, pursuant to CPL 440.10 (subd. 1, par. (h)) to vacate the judgment. His ground was that prior to his pleading guilty to felony murder, he had never been advised by counsel of the existence of the affirmative defense to felony murder (see Penal Law, § 125.25, subd. 3), and as he believed he could have asserted that defense at trial successfully and would have attempted to do so if he had known about it, he therefore claimed that he had been denied effective assistance of counsel (see People v. Bennett, 29 N.Y.2d 462, 329 N.Y.S.2d 801, 280 N.E.2d 637; People v. Glenn, 59 A.D.2d 724, 398 N.Y.S.2d 364). We would have been inclined to order a hearing for the purpose of making factual determinations relative to this issue had defendant perfected his direct appeal. But as defendant has demonstrated a preference for fleeing rather than litigating, we hold that defendant is estopped, by the earlier dismissal of his appeal, with prejudice, from asserting this issue by a postjudgment motion. We further note that an issue which could have been raised on direct...

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3 cases
  • People v. Cunningham
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • May 13, 1980
    ...39, 187 N.E.2d 113 (1962); People v. Shapiro, supra, 3 N.Y.2d at 206, 165 N.Y.S.2d 14, 144 N.E.2d 12; People v. Barker, 71 A.D.2d 902, 903, 419 N.Y.S.2d 617 (2d Dept. 1979); People v. Kenneth A., supra, 36 A.D.2d at 860, 321 N.Y.S.2d 747; People v. Bye, supra, 95 Misc.2d at 1035, 408 N.Y.S.......
  • Barker v. Jones
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of New York
    • April 2, 1981
    ...litigating," and that it was improper to entertain such a motion under CPL § 440.10 subd. 2, par. c, People v. Barker, 71 A.D.2d 902, 419 N.Y.S.2d 617, 618 (App.Div. 2d Dep't 1979). After leave to appeal to the Court of Appeals was denied, petitioner commenced the present habeas At the outs......
  • Stradford v. State
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • March 27, 1990
    ...been addressed directly by a Missouri court, support for the trial court's ruling can be found in other cases. See People v. Barker, 71 A.D.2d 902, 419 N.Y.S.2d 617 (1979); Fowler v. Leeke, 509 F.Supp. 544, 546 n. 3 (D.S.C.1979); but see State Board of Corrections v. Smith, 238 Ga. 565, 233......

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