People v. McLeod

Decision Date14 May 1990
Citation555 N.Y.S.2d 445,161 A.D.2d 671
PartiesThe PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. John McLEOD, Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Lewis M. Reiss, Plainview, for appellant.

John J. Santucci, Dist. Atty., Kew Gardens (Ernest Burstein, of counsel), for respondent.

Before BRACKEN, J.P., and BROWN, LAWRENCE and KOOPER, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (DiTucci, J.), rendered January 15, 1987, convicting him of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence. The appeal brings up for review the denial, after a hearing, of that branch of the defendant's omnibus motion which was to suppress physical evidence.

ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.

At the suppression hearing, Police Officer Kenneth Igel testified that at a location known to be the site of narcotics related activity, he observed an individual giving the defendant money followed by the defendant removing from his pocket a glassine envelope. When the officer approached these two individuals, the buyer walked away. The officer then approached the defendant, asked him what he was doing, and then reached into the defendant's jacket pocket and removed a larger envelope containing several smaller glassine envelopes in which there were narcotics. Officer Igel thereupon arrested the defendant.

On appeal, the defendant contends that the officer did not have probable cause to arrest him, and therefore that the evidence should have been suppressed. We do not agree. The officer's testimony was credible and the exchange of money, coupled with the observance by the officer of a glassine envelope, provided the requisite probable cause needed to arrest the defendant, particularly so in light of the fact that this officer was well aware that the area had been the site of narcotics-related activity (see, People v. McRay, 51 N.Y.2d 594, 435 N.Y.S.2d 679, 416 N.E.2d 1015; People v. Goggans, 155 A.D.2d 689, 548 N.Y.S.2d 257). Since there existed probable cause to arrest the defendant at the time the evidence was obtained, "[i]t is immaterial that the seizure of this evidence occurred immediately before, rather than simultaneously with, the formal arrest" (People v. Goggans, supra; see also, People v. Landy, 59 N.Y.2d 369, 465 N.Y.S.2d 857, 452 N.E.2d 1185; People v....

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    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
    • August 14, 2012
    ... ... Penal Law 160.00, though [t]he threatened use of force may be implicit ... when viewed under the totality of facts. People v. Lopez, 161 A.D.2d 670, 555 N.Y.S.2d 444, 445 (2d Dep't 1990). The traditional deference accorded to a jury's verdict is especially important ... ...
  • People v. Bailey
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    • May 22, 1995
    ...to conclude that a crime was being committed (see, People v. McCray, 51 N.Y.2d 594, 435 N.Y.S.2d 679, 416 N.E.2d 1015; People v. McLeod, 161 A.D.2d 671, 555 N.Y.S.2d 445; People v. Zarzuela, 141 A.D.2d 788, 529 N.Y.S.2d We do not agree with the defendant that an adverse inference charge was......
  • People v. Archibald
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • April 5, 1993
    ...the vials of crack cocaine "occurred immediately before, rather than simultaneously with, the formal arrest" (see People v. McLeod, 161 A.D.2d 671, 672, 555 N.Y.S.2d 445, quoting People v. Goggans, 155 A.D.2d 689, 691, 548 N.Y.S.2d 257). The mere fact that the police may have failed to inve......
  • People v. Lopez
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    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • May 14, 1990
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