People v. Faulk

• Decision Date: 22 July 2020
• Docket Number: Ind. No. 140/13,2014–11614
• Citation: 128 N.Y.S.3d 43,185 A.D.3d 953
• Parties: The PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. Richard FAULK, appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

185 A.D.3d 953

128 N.Y.S.3d 43

The PEOPLE, etc., respondent,

v.Richard FAULK, appellant.

2014–11614

Ind. No. 140/13

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

Submitted—December 5, 2019

July 22, 2020

Carol E. Castillo, East Setauket, NY, for appellant.

Timothy D. Sini, District Attorney, Riverhead, N.Y. (Grazia DiVincenzo of counsel), for respondent.

MARK C. DILLON, J.P., JEFFREY A. COHEN, COLLEEN D. DUFFY, FRANCESCA E. CONNOLLY, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Suffolk County (Richard Ambro, J.), rendered November 17, 2014, convicting him of burglary in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing (John J. Toomey, J.), of that branch of the defendant's omnibus motion which was to suppress physical evidence.

ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant was convicted of burglary in the second degree arising from an incident that occurred on January 7, 2013, at a residence located on Lewin Farms in Calverton. At a suppression hearing, the officer who arrested the defendant testified that on the date of the incident, he was dispatched to the intersection of Route 25A and Hulse Landing, which was located approximately one mile from Lewin Farms, with respect to "a complainant who had a subject in custody." When the arresting officer arrived at the scene, he observed the defendant surrounded by approximately four to five men, including the complainant, who were shouting in Spanish. The complainant, who spoke English, told the arresting officer that "they just caught somebody trying to break into one of the houses" on Lewin Farms. Another officer arrived at the scene and, at that point, the arresting officer separated the defendant from the other individuals. The arresting officer placed the defendant's backpack on top of the trunk of the patrol car, and then asked the defendant, who was leaning against the rear bumper of the patrol car, for his name and identification. The defendant was unable to produce identification, but told the arresting officer his name. The arresting officer then ran a warrant check on the defendant's name, which revealed that there was an outstanding warrant for the defendant for a parole violation. The arresting officer then placed the defendant under arrest. In a search incident to his arrest, the arresting officer recovered from the defendant's pants pocket, among other items, a gold necklace, which he then placed inside the defendant's backpack. The arresting officer transported the defendant to the police precinct, and, approximately 1½ hours later, the arresting officer learned that the defendant was going to be charged with burglary. At the hearing, the defendant testified that the arresting officer recovered his cell phone and wallet from his pants pockets, and that the necklace, which he claimed belonged to him, was inside his backpack.

On a motion by a defendant to suppress physical evidence, "the People have the burden of going forward to show the legality of the police conduct in the first instance" ( People v. Whitehurst, 25 N.Y.2d 389, 391, 306 N.Y.S.2d 673, 254 N.E.2d 905 [emphasis omitted]; People v. Worrell, 170 A.D.3d 1048, 1050, 96 N.Y.S.3d 269). The defendant bears the ultimate burden of proving that the evidence should not be used against him (see People v. Berrios, 28 N.Y.2d 361, 367, 321 N.Y.S.2d 884, 270 N.E.2d 709 ; People v. Worrell, 170 A.D.3d at 1050, 96 N.Y.S.3d 269 ). Further, the credibility determinations of a hearing court following a suppression hearing are entitled to great deference on appeal and will not be disturbed unless clearly unsupported by the record (see People v. Guzman, 175 A.D.3d 564, 564, 104 N.Y.S.3d 912 ; People v. Watson, 163 A.D.3d 855, 856–857, 81 N.Y.S.3d 449 ; People v. Casey, 149 A.D.3d 770, 771, 52 N.Y.S.3d 377 ). "In People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d 210 [386 N.Y.S.2d 375, 352 N.E.2d 562 (1976)], the Court of Appeals established a graduated four-level test for evaluating the propriety of police encounters when a police officer is acting in a law enforcement capacity. The first level permits a police officer to request information from an individual, and merely requires that the request be supported by an objective, credible reason, not necessarily indicative of criminality. The second level, known as the common-law right of inquiry, requires a founded suspicion that criminal activity is afoot, and permits a somewhat greater intrusion. The third level permits a police officer to forcibly stop and detain an individual. Such a detention, however, is not permitted unless there is a reasonable suspicion that an individual is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime. The fourth level authorizes an arrest based on probable cause to believe that a person has committed a crime" ( People v. Karagoz, 143 A.D.3d 912, 913–914, 39 N.Y.S.3d 217 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d at 223, 386 N.Y.S.2d 375, 352 N.E.2d 562 ).

As an initial matter, the defendant failed to preserve for appellate review his contentions that the arresting officer was not justified in conducting a warrant check, and that the arresting officer lacked reasonable suspicion to detain him during the warrant check. The defendant did not raise, at the suppression hearing or during the trial, the specific contentions he now raises (see CPL 470.05[2] ; People v. Baez , 175 A.D.3d 553, 555, 107 N.Y.S.3d 385 ; People v. Taylor , 120 A.D.3d 519, 520, 990 N.Y.S.2d 635 ). In any event, these contentions are without merit. The testimony adduced at the hearing demonstrated that the arresting officer was justified in asking the defendant for his name and, after the defendant was unable to provide identification, in conducting a warrant search. There is no support in the record for the defendant's contention that the arresting officer's conduct exceeded a level one request for information (see People v. Tejada , 270 A.D.2d 655, 656, 704 N.Y.S.2d 365 ; see also People v. Merritt , 96 A.D.3d 1169, 1170, 946 N.Y.S.2d 306 ). Furthermore, the record does not support the defendant's additional contention that he was detained while the arresting officer conducted the warrant check (see People v. Small , 156 A.D.3d 820, 822–823, 67 N.Y.S.3d 249 ; People v. Bolta , 96 A.D.3d 773, 774, 945 N.Y.S.2d 423 ; People v. Shankle , 37 A.D.3d 742, 743, 830 N.Y.S.2d 314 ). Moreover, we discern no basis to disturb the hearing court's determination to credit the arresting officer's testimony that the necklace was recovered from the defendant's pants pocket, and not the defendant's backpack (see People v. Moore , 166 A.D.3d 654, 654, 86 N.Y.S.3d 224 ; People v. Rampersad , 158 A.D.3d 727, 728, 71 N.Y.S.3d 529 ). Thus, the necklace seized by the arresting officer incident to the defendant's lawful arrest for a parole violation warrant was proper (see People v. White , 173 A.D.3d 781, 781, 102 N.Y.S.3d 645 ; People v. Burris , 164 A.D.3d 821, 823, 83 N.Y.S.3d 143 ). Accordingly, we agree with the hearing court's determination to deny that branch of the defendant's omnibus motion which was to suppress physical evidence.

Contrary to the defendant's contention, he was not deprived of the effective assistance of counsel based on his counsel's failure to move to reopen the suppression hearing. On this record, the defendant failed to demonstrate "the absence of strategic or other legitimate explanations" for counsel's shortcoming ( People v. Rivera, 71 N.Y.2d 705, 709, 530 N.Y.S.2d 52, 525 N.E.2d 698 ; see People v. Caban, 5 N.Y.3d 143, 152, 800 N.Y.S.2d 70, 833 N.E.2d 213 ).

The defendant waived his contention that the County Court erred with respect to the seating of prospective juror number 14 as the 12th juror, and the seating of prospective jurors numbers 16 and 20 as alternates, inasmuch as defense counsel expressly consented to the seating of those prospective jurors (see People v. Arevalo, 168 A.D.3d 1091, 1091, 90 N.Y.S.3d 912 ; People v. Driver, 154 A.D.3d 958, 959, 64 N.Y.S.3d 222 ). Contrary to the defendant's contention, the seating of those jurors did not constitute a mode of proceedings error (see People v. Mack, 27 N.Y.3d 534, 541, 36 N.Y.S.3d 68, 55 N.E.3d 1041 ; People v. Carew, 167 A.D.3d 1032, 1032, 88 N.Y.S.3d 895 ).

The defendant's contention that the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction of burglary in the second degree is without merit. 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 it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, in fulfilling our responsibility to conduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence (see CPL 470.15[5] ; People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1 ), we nevertheless accord great deference to the jury's opportunity to view the witnesses, hear the testimony, and observe demeanor (see People v. Mateo, 2 N.Y.3d 383, 779 N.Y.S.2d 399, 811 N.E.2d 1053 ; People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672 ). Upon reviewing the record here, 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 ).

The defendant's contentions regarding the County Court's determination to grant the jury's request, made during deliberations, for a magnifying glass to examine the subject necklace are partially unpreserved for appellate review (see CPL 470.05[2] ). In any event, inasmuch as the magnifying glass was used for a permissible purpose, the court did not improvidently exercise its discretion in granting the jury's request (see People v. Brown, 277 A.D.2d 972, 972, 716 N.Y.S.2d 540 ; People v. Brown, 216 A.D.2d 737, 738, 628 N.Y.S.2d 835 ; People v. Moody, 195...