People v. Dunbar

• Citation: 174 A.D.3d 642,101 N.Y.S.3d 864 (Mem)
• Decision Date: 10 July 2019
• Docket Number: 2016-06697,Ind. No. 7389/14
• Parties: The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Aquil DUNBAR, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

174 A.D.3d 642
101 N.Y.S.3d 864 (Mem)

The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent,
v.
Aquil DUNBAR, Appellant.

2016-06697
Ind. No. 7389/14

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

Argued—March 28, 2019
July 10, 2019

Janet E. Sabel, New York, N.Y. (Justine M. Luongo and Allen Fallek of counsel) for appellant.

Eric Gonzalez, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove, Caroline R. Donhauser, and Abed Z. Bhuyan of counsel), for respondent.

REINALDO E. RIVERA, J.P., MARK C. DILLON, LEONARD B. AUSTIN, SYLVIA O. HINDS–RADIX, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Michael Gary, J.), rendered May 19, 2016, as amended May 20, 2016, convicting him of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

ORDERED that the judgment, as amended, is affirmed.

The defendant's contention that the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree is unpreserved for appellate review (see CPL 470.05[2] ; People v. Hawkins, 11 N.Y.3d 484, 492, 872 N.Y.S.2d 395, 900 N.E.2d 946 ). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932 ), we find that the evidence was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, upon our independent review pursuant to CPL 470.15(5), we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v. Romero, 7 N.Y.3d 633, 826 N.Y.S.2d 163, 859 N.E.2d 902 ). Contrary to the defendant's contention, his acquittal of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree does not render his conviction of criminal possession with intent to sell legally insufficient or against the weight of the evidence (see People v. Pedroza, 48 A.D.3d 706, 706–707, 852 N.Y.S.2d 308 ; People v. Miller, 282 A.D.2d 550, 551, 722 N.Y.S.2d 751 ; People v. Vaughn, 242 A.D.2d 458, 458, 662 N.Y.S.2d 113 ; People v. Lane, 177 A.D.2d 713, 713, 577...