People v. Devonish
| Decision Date | 15 December 2005 |
| Parties | The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. James DEVONISH, Appellant. |
| Court | New York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals |
The order of the Appellate Division should be reversed and a new trial ordered.
Defendant was convicted of burglary in the second degree after he was found inside a locked church building with a bag containing the kinds of tools commonly used by burglars. A witness for the People, a general contractor for the church, testified that he stored his tools in the church basement and that one of the tools found in defendant's possession was his for "sure," and the others might have been. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to defendant (see People v. Discala, 45 N.Y.2d 38, 42, 407 N.Y.S.2d 660, 379 N.E.2d 187 [1978]), the jury was entitled to infer that defendant did not bring the tools with him to the church, and thus that the evidence failed to show that he had criminal intent at the time of entry (see People v. Scarborough, 49 N.Y.2d 364, 373, 426 N.Y.S.2d 224, 402 N.E.2d 1127 [1980]). It was error to refuse defendant's request that the jury be charged with the lesser included offense of criminal trespass in the second degree (CPL 300.50).
On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.11 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals (22 NYCRR 500.11), order reversed, etc.
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...in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25[1] ). Viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant ( see People v. Devonish, 6 N.Y.3d 727, 810 N.Y.S.2d 380, 843 N.E.2d 1120;People v. Randolph, 81 N.Y.2d 868, 597 N.Y.S.2d 630, 613 N.E.2d 536;People v. Vandenko, 70 A.D.3d 733, 892 N.Y.S.2d 86......
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...in the proponent's favor, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree should have been charged ( People v. Devonish, 6 N.Y.3d 727, 728, 810 N.Y.S.2d 380, 843 N.E.2d 1120 [2005]; People v. Henderson, 41 N.Y.2d 233, 236, 391 N.Y.S.2d 563, 359 N.E.2d 1357 [1976] ), and the court's ref......
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...criminal trespass in the second degree but did not also intend to commit a crime inside the residence (see People v. Devonish , 6 N.Y.3d 727, 728, 810 N.Y.S.2d 380, 843 N.E.2d 1120 ). Accordingly, upon request, the Supreme Court would have been required to submit criminal trespass in the se......
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Finigan v. Marshall
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