People v. Fwilo

Citation47 A.D.2d 727,365 N.Y.S.2d 194
PartiesThe PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Charles FWILO, Defendant-Appellant.
Decision Date06 March 1975
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

B. Birnbaum, New York City, for respondent.

J. B. Malmo, New York City, for defendant-appellant.

STEVENS, J.P., and MARKEWICH, TILZER, CAPOZZOLI and NUNEZ, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County, rendered June 29, 1973 convicting defendant of the crimes of Attempt to Commit the Crime of Robbery in the First Degree, Possession of a Dangerous Weapon as a Felony, and Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, and sentencing him to a reformatory term on the Attempted Robbery and Possession convictions and a conditional discharge on the Reckless Endangerment conviction, unanimously modified on the law to reduce the crime of Attempted Robbery First Degree to Attempted Robbery Second Degree; to dismiss the count of Possession of a Dangerous Weapon as a Felony; and to remit the matter for resentencing, and as so modified the judgment is affirmed.

Although defense counsel stipulated that the ballistic expert, if called as a witness, would testify that the subject gun was tested and found to be operable, such stipulation merely encompassed what the expert would state in his testimony, and was not a concession that the expert's conclusions were accurate or that the gun, in fact, was operable. Accordingly, since the evidence presented an issue with respect to the operability of the gun, the Court should have granted defense counsel's request to charge that the 'jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt that the pistol was in fact operable.' Such was essential in order to find defendant guilty of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 160.15(2)) or Possession of a Dangerous Weapon as a Felony (Penal Law § 265.05(2)) since a gun, even though loaded, constitutes a deadly weapon if 'a shot, readily capable of producing death or other serious physical injury, may be discharged (from it) . . .' (Penal Law § 10.00(12)) and may only be considered a dangerous instrument if 'under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used or threatened to be used, is readily capable of causing death or other serious physical injury.' (Penal Law § 10.00(13); see People v. Grillo, 15 A.D.2d 502, 222 N.Y.S.2d 630, aff'd 11 N.Y.2d 841, 227 N.Y.S.2d 668, 182 N.E.2d 278 and People v. DeWitt, 285 App.Div. 1157, 140 N.Y.S.2d 190, holding that...

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13 cases
  • People v. Harvin
    • United States
    • New York City Court
    • December 19, 1984
    ...N.Y.S.2d 190; People v. Grillo, 15 A.D.2d 502, 222 N.Y.S.2d 630, affd. 11 N.Y.2d 841, 227 N.Y.S.2d 668, 182 N.E.2d 278; People v. Fwilo, 47 A.D.2d 727, 365 N.Y.S.2d 194; People v. Donaldson, 49 A.D.2d 1004, 374 N.Y.S.2d 169. In the ordinary case, no valid indictment can result unless the gr......
  • People v. Wilson
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • December 31, 1998
    ...reasons stated 48 N.Y.2d 674, 421 N.Y.S.2d 881, 397 N.E.2d 392; People v. Briggs, 52 A.D.2d 1053, 384 N.Y.S.2d 894; People v. Fwilo, 47 A.D.2d 727, 727-728, 365 N.Y.S.2d 194; People v. Iglesias, 40 A.D.2d 778, 778-779, 337 N.Y.S.2d 740; but see, People v. Lay, supra, 39 A.D.2d, at 905, 334 ......
  • Schonfeld v. Hilliard
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
    • August 1, 1999
  • People v. Archie
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • February 5, 1976
    ...1548). If such was the case, however, it was not to be. The New York courts have declined to honor such an inference. (People v. Fwilo, 47 A.D.2d 727, 365 N.Y.S.2d 194; People v. Iglesias, 40 A.D.2d 778, 337 N.Y.S.2d 740; People v. Dade, 15 A.D.2d 629, 222 N.Y.S.2d 154; cf. People v. Strong......
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