People v. Green

Decision Date18 September 2008
Docket NumberNo. 4756/06,No. 4072.,4072.,4756/06
Citation54 A.D.3d 603,863 N.Y.S.2d 437,2008 NY Slip Op 6925
PartiesTHE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. KAREEM GREEN, Also Known as KAREEM OUSMANE, Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Defendant's legal sufficiency argument concerning his tampering with physical evidence conviction is unpreserved and we decline to review it in the interest of justice. As an alternative holding, we also find that the verdict was based on legally sufficient evidence. Furthermore, the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v Danielson, 9 NY3d 342, 348-349 [2007]). Defendant's course of conduct supports the inference that when he put an unknown object into his mouth, he was aware that he was about to be arrested, and supports the additional inference that the object was contraband or evidence that defendant intended to prevent the police from discovering.

Defendant's statutory right to be present at material stages of the trial was not violated by his absence from sidebar conferences at which counsel exercised challenges to potential jurors, inasmuch as the questioning of prospective jurors was conducted in defendant's presence in open court and he was afforded an opportunity to consult with counsel prior to counsel's exercise of those challenges (see People v Mieles, 254 AD2d 436 [1998], lv denied 92 NY2d 1051 [1999]; People v Smith, 205 AD2d 458 [1994], lv denied 84 NY2d 872 [1994]). Defendant's absence from such sidebars had no effect on his opportunity to defend in light of the fact that his attorney was only performing the ministerial task of exercising the challenges to which defendant had agreed. Since only legal and administrative matters were discussed at the sidebars at issue, defendant's presence was not required (see People v Velasco, 77 NY2d 469, 473 [1991]; People v Haywood, 280 AD2d 282, 282-283 [2001]).

Concur—MAZZARELLI, J.P., ANDRIAS, SAXE, FRIEDMAN and ACOSTA, JJ.

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10 cases
  • People v. Shoga
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • November 10, 2011
    ...supported by the weight of the evidence ( see People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d at 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672; People v. Green, 54 A.D.3d 603, 603–604, 863 N.Y.S.2d 437 [2008], lvs.denied 11 N.Y.3d 897, 899, 873 N.Y.S.2d 273, 275, 901 N.E.2d 767, 769 [2008]; see also People v. Hafeez......
  • People v. Mathieu
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • April 5, 2011
    ...with physical evidence, and the verdict of guilt on that count was not against the weight of the evidence ( see People v. Green, 54 A.D.3d 603, 863 N.Y.S.2d 437; People v. Grier, 47 A.D.3d 729, 730, 849 N.Y.S.2d 608; People v. Lucas, 25 A.D.3d 822, 823, 806 N.Y.S.2d 798; [83 A.D.3d 737] Peo......
  • People v. Zachary
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • January 8, 2020
    ...cf. People v. Atkins , 95 A.D.3d 731, 731, 945 N.Y.S.2d 82 ; People v. Davis–Ivery , 59 A.D.3d 853, 873 N.Y.S.2d 777 ; People v. Green , 54 A.D.3d 603, 603–604, 863 N.Y.S.2d 437 ). Here, the charge of tampering with physical evidence was based on the defendant's act of discarding the plasti......
  • People v. Tyler
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • June 10, 2016
    ...v. Quintana, 80 A.D.3d 499, 499, 914 N.Y.S.2d 630, lv. denied 17 N.Y.3d 799, 929 N.Y.S.2d 107, 952 N.E.2d 1102 ; see People v. Green, 54 A.D.3d 603, 604, 863 N.Y.S.2d 437, lv. denied 11 N.Y.3d 899, 873 N.Y.S.2d 275, 901 N.E.2d 769 ). Indeed, defendant does not contend that he was not given ......
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