People v. Mata

• Decision Date: 10 July 2019
• Docket Number: 2016-07909,Ind. No. 1351/15
• Citation: 174 A.D.3d 647,101 N.Y.S.3d 908 (Mem)
• Parties: The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Brandon MATA, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

174 A.D.3d 647

101 N.Y.S.3d 908 (Mem)

The PEOPLE, etc., Respondent,

v.Brandon MATA, Appellant.

2016-07909

Ind. No. 1351/15

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

July 10, 2019

Submitted—April 2, 2019

Laura Solinger, Southold, NY, for appellant.

Timothy D. Sini, District Attorney, Riverhead, N.Y. (Marcia R. Kucera, Glenn Green, and Timothy Finnerty of counsel), for respondent.

CHERYL E. CHAMBERS, J.P., JEFFREY A. COHEN, COLLEEN D. DUFFY, ANGELA G. IANNACCI, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Suffolk County (Mark D. Cohen, J.), rendered July 13, 2016, convicting him of robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, and attempted robbery in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing pursuant to a stipulation in lieu of motions, of the suppression of identification testimony.

ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.

Contrary to the defendant's contentions, the photographic array from which a complaining witness identified the defendant was not unduly suggestive. In determining whether a photographic array was unduly suggestive, the hearing court should consider whether there was any substantial likelihood that the defendant would be "singled out for identification" ( People v. Chipp, 75 N.Y.2d 327, 336, 553 N.Y.S.2d 72, 552 N.E.2d 608 ; see People v. Staton, 138 A.D.3d 1149, 1149, 31 N.Y.S.3d 136, affd 28 N.Y.3d 1160, 49 N.Y.S.3d 351, 71 N.E.3d 939 ; People v. Burroughs, 98 A.D.3d 583, 583, 949 N.Y.S.2d 211 ). Here, the five other persons depicted in the photographic array were sufficiently similar in appearance to the defendant. Moreover, the defendant's ponytail was not visible in his photograph, as he was positioned in a way that obscured it (see People v. Reyes, 60 A.D.3d 873, 874, 875 N.Y.S.2d 229 ; People v. Mena, 287 A.D.2d 394, 394, 731 N.Y.S.2d 451 ; People v. Diaz, 138 A.D.2d 728, 728, 526 N.Y.S.2d 540 ). Although the background of the defendant's photograph was brighter than the backgrounds of the other photographs, and the defendant's photograph was slighter larger than the others, those facts were not sufficient to render the photographic array unduly suggestive (see People v. Redding, 132 A.D.3d 700, 700, 17 N.Y.S.3d 495 ; People v. Green, 107 A.D.3d 915, 916, 967 N.Y.S.2d 753 ; People v. Boria, 279 A.D.2d 585, 586, 719 N.Y.S.2d 682 ). To the extent that the defendant's contentions rely upon testimony from the trial to challenge the suppression ruling, they are not properly before this Court (see People v. Brummel, 103 A.D.3d 805, 806, 962 N.Y.S.2d 182 ; People v. Wellington, 84 A.D.3d 984, 985, 923 N.Y.S.2d 581 ). Consequently, we agree with the County Court's denial of the suppression of identification testimony.

Contrary to the People's contention, the defendant preserved for appellate review his contention that he was deprived of a fair trial due to an alleged error in admitting evidence of prior bad acts (see CPL 470.05[2] ). However, the defendant's contention is without merit. The evidence of the defendant's parole status was admissible, as it was relevant to the defendant's identification as one of the perpetrators of the crimes charged (see People v. Sterling, 162 A.D.3d 914, 914, 79 N.Y.S.3d 272 ; People v. Harris, 147 A.D.3d 1328, 1329–1330, 47 N.Y.S.3d 528 ; People v. Leach, 90 A.D.3d 1073, 1074, 935 N.Y.S.2d 631, affd 21 N.Y.3d 969, 971 N.Y.S.2d 234, 993 N.E.2d 1255 ; People v. Johnson, 45 A.D.3d 606, 606, 845 N.Y.S.2d 400 ; People v. Campbell, 7 A.D.3d 409, 410, 777 N.Y.S.2d 435 ). Furthermore, the probative value of the evidence outweighed its prejudicial effect, which the court minimized by giving the jury appropriate limiting instructions (see People v. Sterling, 162 A.D.3d at 914, 79 N.Y.S.3d 272 ; People v. Leach, 90 A.D.3d at 1074, 935 N.Y.S.2d 631 ; People v. Johnson, 45 A.D.3d at 606, 845 N.Y.S.2d 400 ).

The defendant's contentions that he was deprived of a fair trial by testimony that exceeded the scope of the County Court's Molineux ruling (see People v. Molineux, 168 N.Y. 264, 61 N.E. 286 ) and by the prosecutor's summation remarks based upon that improper testimony are unpreserved for appellate review (see CPL 470.05[2] ; People v. Heide, 84 N.Y.2d 943, 944,...