People v. Johns

• Decision Date: 30 November 2022
• Docket Number: 2016–01660,Ind. No. 9630/13
• Citation: 210 A.D.3d 1108,178 N.Y.S.3d 782
• Parties: The PEOPLE, etc., respondent, v. Akbar JOHNS, appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

210 A.D.3d 1108

178 N.Y.S.3d 782

The PEOPLE, etc., respondent,

v.Akbar JOHNS, appellant.

2016–01660

Ind. No. 9630/13

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

Argued—November 1, 2022

November 30, 2022

Twyla Carter, New York, NY (Will A. Page and Naila Siddiqui of counsel), for appellant.

Eric Gonzalez, District Attorney, Brooklyn, NY (Leonard Joblove and Diane R. Eisner of counsel), for respondent.

VALERIE BRATHWAITE NELSON, J.P., ANGELA G. IANNACCI, LINDA CHRISTOPHER, BARRY E. WARHIT, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Neil J. Firetog, J.), rendered February 5, 2016, convicting him of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant was charged with, inter alia, murder in the second degree in connection with a shooting, which occurred in Brooklyn on August 24, 2012. At trial, the People presented evidence that the defendant aimed a gun in the direction of a group of boys in a rival gang and fired the weapon three times, striking and killing one of those boys. The People also presented evidence of the defendant's statements to friends that his "family" was being threatened by the rival gang and he was his gang's "only protection." After the shooting, the defendant threw his gun into the bushes and fled to Maryland, where he was subsequently apprehended. Following trial, the jury found the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

There is no merit to the defendant's contention that the Supreme Court violated its obligations under CPL 310.30 and his right to be present when the court was responding to a portion of a particular jury note, which requested certain evidentiary exhibits (see People v. Cooper, 193 A.D.3d 966, 967, 142 N.Y.S.3d 854 ). Defense counsel agreed that the court could furnish the jury with exhibits upon its request without reconvening. "Where a defendant consents beforehand, a court may furnish the jury with evidentiary exhibits without reconvening" ( id. ; see CPL 310.20 ; People v. Edwards, 208 A.D.3d 510, 516, 172 N.Y.S.3d 466 ; People v. Hernandez, 198 A.D.3d 465, 466, 155 N.Y.S.3d 159 ). The defendant's remaining contentions related to the handling of the subject jury note are without merit (see People v. Harriott, 181 A.D.3d 863, 863–864, 119 N.Y.S.3d 899 ).

The defendant contends that the evidence was legally insufficient to support his conviction of murder in the second degree because the People failed to prove that he acted with the intent to kill the victim. However, 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 of murder in the second degree 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 testimony, and observe demeanor (see People v. Mateo, 2 N.Y.3d 383, 410, 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 of murder in the second degree was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v....