People v. Brooks

• Decision Date: 06 May 2016
• Docket Number: 410 KA 12-00898.
• Citation: 2016 N.Y. Slip Op. 03633,139 A.D.3d 1391,31 N.Y.S.3d 372
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Marland D. BROOKS, Defendant–Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

139 A.D.3d 1391

31 N.Y.S.3d 372

2016 N.Y. Slip Op. 03633

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Marland D. BROOKS, Defendant–Appellant.

410 KA 12-00898.

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

May 6, 2016.

D.J. & J.A. Cirando, Esqs., Syracuse (Bradley E. Keem of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant.

Marland D. Brooks, Defendant–Appellant pro se.

Brooks T. Baker, District Attorney, Bath (John C. Tunney of Counsel), for Respondent.

PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., PERADOTTO, LINDLEY, DeJOSEPH, AND NEMOYER, JJ.

MEMORANDUM:

Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of, inter alia, murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25[1] ) and robbery in the first degree (§ 160.15[2] ). The record establishes that defendant and his girlfriend were social visitors to the victim's home when an altercation broke out between defendant and the victim. During the altercation, defendant inflicted two stab wounds to the victim's chest that ultimately caused his death. The People also presented evidence that defendant reached into the victim's pocket and took his wallet as defendant and his girlfriend left the scene after the stabbing. Defendant raised the defense of justification at trial, and he testified on his own behalf that the victim initiated the altercation by charging at him with a knife.

We reject defendant's contention that County Court erred in directing that he be restrained with a stun belt during trial. A trial court has “broad discretion” in deciding whether a restraint is necessary for security reasons as long as it conducts a sufficient inquiry into the relevant facts and “makes findings on the record showing that the particular defendant before [it] needs such a restraint” (People v. Buchanan, 13 N.Y.3d 1, 4, 884 N.Y.S.2d 337, 912 N.E.2d 553 ). We conclude that the court acted within its discretion in ordering the use of a stun belt here based on defendant's criminal history and his alleged assault of a guard while in jail awaiting trial (see People v. Harvey, 100 A.D.3d 1451, 1451, 953 N.Y.S.2d 439, lv. denied 21 N.Y.3d 943, 968 N.Y.S.2d 5, 990 N.E.2d 139 ; People v. Freeman, 184 A.D.2d 864, 864–865, 585 N.Y.S.2d 113, lv. denied 80 N.Y.2d 903, 588 N.Y.S.2d 829, 602 N.E.2d 237 ; see generally Buchanan, 13 N.Y.3d at 4, 884 N.Y.S.2d 337, 912 N.E.2d 553 ). We reject defendant's further contention that he was denied a fair trial by his girlfriend's testimony, on direct examination by the prosecutor, that defendant had “just gotten out of jail” shortly before the crimes were committed. The court struck that testimony in response to defendant's objection and gave curative instructions that were sufficient to alleviate any prejudice (see People v. Santiago, 52 N.Y.2d 865, 866, 437 N.Y.S.2d 75, 418 N.E.2d 668 ; People v. Dewitt, 126 A.D.3d 579, 579, 3 N.Y.S.3d 585 ).

Defendant failed to preserve for our review his contention that the verdict is repugnant inasmuch as he did not object to the verdict on that ground before the jury was discharged (see People v. Alfaro, 66 N.Y.2d 985, 987, 499 N.Y.S.2d 378, 489 N.E.2d 1280 ; People v. Spears, 125 A.D.3d 1400, 1401, 2 N.Y.S.3d 719, lv. denied 25 N.Y.3d 1172, 15 N.Y.S.3d 303, 36 N.E.3d 106 ). In any event, we conclude that the verdict is not repugnant because defendant's acquittal of felony murder and robbery in the first degree pursuant to Penal Law § 160.15(1) was not “conclusive as to a necessary element” of any of the crimes of which he was convicted (People v. Tucker, 55 N.Y.2d 1, 7, 447 N.Y.S.2d 132, 431 N.E.2d 617, rearg. denied 55 N.Y.2d 1039, 449 N.Y.S.2d 1030, 434 N.E.2d 1081 ; see People v. Lamont, 113 A.D.3d 1069, 1072, 977 N.Y.S.2d 540, affd. 25 N.Y.3d 315, 12 N.Y.S.3d 6, 33 N.E.3d 1275 ). Where “there is a possible theory under which a split verdict could be legally permissible, it cannot be repugnant” (People v. Muhammad, 17 N.Y.3d 532, 540, 935 N.Y.S.2d 526, 959 N.E.2d 463 ), and it is theoretically possible for a person to commit intentional murder and robbery in the first degree pursuant to section 160.15(2), but not felony murder or robbery in the first degree pursuant to section 160.15(1). For instance, a person could intentionally inflict fatal injuries on his or her victim without contemporaneous intent to commit a robbery, and then forcibly steal property from the dying victim while armed with a deadly weapon—a scenario that is consistent with the evidence and jury charge in this case.

By failing to renew his motion for a trial order of dismissal after presenting evidence, defendant failed to preserve his challenge to the legal sufficiency of the evidence (see People v. Hines, 97 N.Y.2d 56, 61, 736 N.Y.S.2d 643, 762 N.E.2d 329, rearg. denied 97 N.Y.2d 678, 738 N.Y.S.2d 292, 764 N.E.2d 396 ; People v. Carbonaro,

134 A.D.3d 1543, 1544, 23 N.Y.S.3d 525 ). In any event, we conclude that the evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the People (see

People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932 ), is legally sufficient to establish that defendant's actions were not justified (see People v. Folger, 292 A.D.2d 841, 842, 740 N.Y.S.2d 740, lv. denied 98 N.Y.2d 675, 746 N.Y.S.2d 464, 774 N.E.2d 229 ), and that he forcibly stole property from the victim while the victim was still alive (see generally People v. Gerena, 49 A.D.3d 1204, 1206, 854 N.Y.S.2d 614, lv. denied 10 N.Y.3d 958, 863 N.Y.S.2d 142, 893 N.E.2d 448 ). Viewing the evidence in light of the elements of the crimes as charged to the jury (see People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 349, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1 ), we reject defendant's contention that the verdict is against the weight of the evidence (see generally People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672 ). The challenges defendant raises on appeal to his girlfriend's credibility were matters for the jury to determine, and we see no reason to disturb its verdict (see People v. Carson, 122 A.D.3d 1391, 1393, 997 N.Y.S.2d 881, lv. denied 25 N.Y.3d 1161, 15 N.Y.S.3d 293, 36 N.E.3d 96 ).

Defendant failed to object to any of the prosecutor's allegedly improper summation comments, and thus failed to preserve for our review his contention that those comments deprived him of a fair trial (see CPL 470.05 [2 ]; People v. Rumph, 93 A.D.3d 1346, 1347, 940 N.Y.S.2d 769, lv. denied 19 N.Y.3d 967, 950 N.Y.S.2d 119, 973 N.E.2d 217 ). We decline to exercise our power to review that contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice (see CPL 470.15[6][a] ). We conclude that the claims of ineffective assistance of counsel in defendant's main brief are without merit. Defense counsel was not ineffective in failing to object to the verdict as repugnant inasmuch as the objection would have been meritless (see Lamont, 113 A.D.3d at 1072, 977 N.Y.S.2d 540 ; see generally People v. Stultz, 2 N.Y.3d 277, 287, 778 N.Y.S.2d 431, 810 N.E.2d 883, rearg. denied 3 N.Y.3d 702, 785 N.Y.S.2d 29, 818 N.E.2d 671 ), and counsel was not at fault for defendant's testimony that opened the door to otherwise precluded questioning about a prior robbery conviction. Counsel “should not have had to anticipate” that defendant would misrepresent his criminal history in response to a question whether he was cooperative with the police when giving a DNA sample in connection with the instant crimes (People v. Long, 307 A.D.2d 647, 648, 763 N.Y.S.2d 365 ; see People v. Lloyd, 199 A.D.2d 573, 574, 604 N.Y.S.2d 321, lv. denied 83 N.Y.2d 807, 611 N.Y.S.2d 143, 633 N.E.2d 498 ).

Defendant further contends that the People violated their Brady obligation by failing to accurately disclose the terms of his girlfriend's cooperation agreement. The agreement disclosed to the defense and testified to by defendant's girlfriend at trial provided that she would plead guilty to robbery in the first degree and receive a 10–year sentence of imprisonment. Defendant's girlfriend entered her plea after defendant's trial, and her plea transcript, which is attached to defendant's brief, shows that she pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in the first degree with the understanding that her sentence of imprisonment would be “no more than” 10 years. She later...