People v. Butler

• Decision Date: 26 March 2021
• Docket Number: 1107,KA 16-02355
• Citation: 144 N.Y.S.3d 518,192 A.D.3d 1701
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Calvin L. BUTLER, Defendant-Appellant. (Appeal No. 1.)
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

192 A.D.3d 1701

144 N.Y.S.3d 518

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Calvin L. BUTLER, Defendant-Appellant. (Appeal No. 1.)

1107

KA 16-02355

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

Entered: March 26, 2021

CARA A. WALDMAN, FAIRPORT, FOR DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

CALVIN L. BUTLER, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT PRO SE.

JAMES B. RITTS, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CANANDAIGUA (V. CHRISTOPHER EAGGLESTON OF COUNSEL), FOR RESPONDENT.

PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., CENTRA, LINDLEY, CURRAN, AND BANNISTER, JJ.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

It is hereby ORDERED that the judgment so appealed from is unanimously affirmed.

Memorandum: In appeal No. 1, defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him following a nonjury trial of, inter alia, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (CPCS 3rd) ( Penal Law § 220.16 [1] ) and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree (CPCS 4th) (§ 220.09 [1]). That judgment arose from the discovery of illicit substances during a search of a residence in Ontario County. In appeal No. 2, defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a plea of guilty of CPCS 3rd ( § 220.16 [1] ). That judgment arose from his possession of illicit substances at the time of his arrest in Seneca County. Finally, in appeal No. 3, defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a plea of guilty of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (§ 220.39 [1]), which was related to his sales of cocaine to a confidential informant in Seneca County.

Contrary to defendant's contention in the main brief in appeal No. 1, County Court's Molineux ruling does not warrant reversal. At the beginning of the trial, the court ruled that it would consider evidence of a sale that occurred on the day that defendant was arrested and the residence in Ontario County was searched. The court determined that such evidence was relevant to the issue of defendant's intent to sell the controlled substances as well as the underlying narrative and background of the events that day. The court precluded the People from using evidence of drug sales made on other dates.

We perceive no error in the court's ruling. The drug sale in Seneca County on the day of defendant's arrest was the catalyst for the search of the Ontario County residence. It was the People's theory that defendant would retrieve drugs from that residence and sell them to, inter alia, the confidential informant in Seneca County. As a result, the Molineux evidence was relevant to establish that defendant intended to sell the drugs (see People v. Simmons , 184 A.D.3d 326, 331, 125 N.Y.S.3d 504 [4th Dept. 2020] ; People v. Whitfield , 115 A.D.3d 1181, 1182, 982 N.Y.S.2d 242 [4th Dept. 2014], lv denied 23 N.Y.3d 1044, 993 N.Y.S.2d 258, 17 N.E.3d 513 [2014] ). Such evidence was also relevant "to complete the narrative of events leading up to the crime for which defendant [was] on trial," and "the probative value of such evidence outweighed its prejudicial impact" ( Whitfield , 115 A.D.3d at 1182, 982 N.Y.S.2d 242 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see generally People v. Alvino , 71 N.Y.2d 233, 242, 525 N.Y.S.2d 7, 519 N.E.2d 808 [1987] ).

Unlike People v. Chaney, 298 A.D.2d 617, 617-619, 748 N.Y.S.2d 182 (3d Dept. 2002), lv dismissed in part and denied in part 100 N.Y.2d 537, 763 N.Y.S.2d 2, 793 N.E.2d 416 (2003), a case cited by defendant, this is not a situation where the volume of drugs or other evidence made it clear that defendant intended to sell the drugs. Moreover, defendant put his intent at issue when defense counsel cross-examined the People's witness regarding whether the amount was consistent with personal use (see People v. Roberts , 161 A.D.3d 1381, 1383, 77 N.Y.S.3d 587 [3d Dept. 2018] ; see also People v. Veale , 169 A.D.2d 939, 940, 565 N.Y.S.2d 252 [3d Dept. 1991], affd 78 N.Y.2d 1022, 576 N.Y.S.2d 207, 582 N.E.2d 590 [1991] ).

Defendant further contends in his main brief in appeal No. 1 that the prosecutor violated the court's Molineux ruling when he discussed evidence related to precluded drug sales in his opening statement and admitted in evidence exhibits 23 and 24. The exhibits contained recordings of telephone calls defendant made while incarcerated at the Seneca County Jail, which contained references to the precluded sales. As defendant correctly concedes, his contentions concerning prosecutorial misconduct are not preserved for our review (see People v. Fick , 167 A.D.3d 1484, 1485, 90 N.Y.S.3d 421 [4th Dept. 2018], lv denied 33 N.Y.3d 948, 100 N.Y.S.3d 173, 123 N.E.3d 832 [2019] ; People v. Brown , 94 A.D.3d 1461, 1462, 942 N.Y.S.2d 826 [4th Dept. 2012], lv denied 19 N.Y.3d 995, 951 N.Y.S.2d 471, 975 N.E.2d 917 [2012] ; see generally People v. Tonge , 93 N.Y.2d 838, 839-840, 688 N.Y.S.2d 88, 710 N.E.2d 653 [1999] ). In any event, defendant's contentions lack merit. The prosecutor made no reference to precluded evidence in his opening statement and, when submitting the relevant exhibits to the court in this nonjury trial, the prosecutor asked the court to consider them "in conjunction with [its] Molineux ruling," specifically noting that defendant made references to sales that were "not ... relevant for this trial." The trial judge indicated that he understood that defendant referenced sales that "took place before the date in question," but stated that he would "disregard those and place them out of [his] mind as if [he] didn't hear them."

We further conclude that, contrary to defendant's contention in his main and pro se supplemental briefs in appeal No. 1, he was not denied a fair trial when the court listened to the entirety of exhibits 23 and 24. "In a bench trial, the court is presumed to have considered only competent evidence in reaching its verdict" ( People v. LoMaglio , 124 A.D.3d 1414, 1416, 1 N.Y.S.3d 713 [4th Dept. 2015], lv denied 25 N.Y.3d 1203, 16 N.Y.S.3d 526, 37 N.E.3d 1169 [2015] [internal quotation marks omitted]). That presumption, however, does not apply where a court sitting as the trier of fact improperly allows evidence over objection unless there is "some reliable indication that, notwithstanding the erroneous ruling, the judge knows that the evidence must be disregarded" ( People v. Pabon , 28 N.Y.3d 147, 158, 42 N.Y.S.3d 659, 65 N.E.3d 688 [2016] ). Here, as in Pabon , "the judge's on-the-record statement that he was ‘not [considering the inadmissible evidence]’ provides sufficient assurance that" the inadmissible evidence was not being considered by the court ( id. ). The court's general reference to the exhibits when rendering its verdict does not establish that the court considered precluded information that was contained in those exhibits (see People v. O'Neill , 169 A.D.3d 1515, 1516, 93 N.Y.S.3d 501 [4th Dept. 2019] ; People v. Barnes , 137 A.D.3d 1571, 1572, 27 N.Y.S.3d 745 [4th Dept. 2016], lv denied 27 N.Y.3d 1128, 39 N.Y.S.3d 110, 61 N.E.3d 509 [2016] ; cf. People v. Memon , 145 A.D.3d 1492, 1493, 44 N.Y.S.3d 285 [4th Dept. 2016] ).

As the final contention in his main brief in appeal No. 1, defendant contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel.

We reject that contention. Viewing the evidence, the law and the circumstances of this case in their totality and as of the time of the representation, we conclude that defense counsel provided meaningful representation (see generally People v. Baldi , 54 N.Y.2d 137, 147, 444 N.Y.S.2d 893, 429 N.E.2d 400 [1981] ).

In his pro se supplemental brief in appeal No. 1, defendant contends that the court erred in refusing to provide a missing witness instruction related to the lessor of the residence that was searched. As a preliminary matter, defendant's request for the instruction was untimely inasmuch as it was made after both parties rested (see People v. Muscarella , 132 A.D.3d 1288, 1290, 17 N.Y.S.3d 229 [4th Dept. 2015], lv denied 26 N.Y.3d 1147, 32 N.Y.S.3d 61, 51 N.E.3d 572 [2016] ; People v. Williams , 94 A.D.3d 1555, 1556, 943 N.Y.S.2d 714 [4th Dept. 2012] ; cf. People v. Carr , 14 N.Y.3d 808, 809, 899 N.Y.S.2d 746, 926 N.E.2d 253 [2010] ). In any event, the charge would not have been warranted because defendant failed to meet his initial burden of establishing that the witness, i.e., defendant's long-term girlfriend, could be expected to testify favorably to the People (see People v. Barill , 120 A.D.3d 951, 953, 991 N.Y.S.2d 214 [4th Dept. 2014], lv...