People v. Morris

• Decision Date: 25 October 2018
• Docket Number: 108595
• Citation: 165 A.D.3d 1489,86 N.Y.S.3d 309
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Tyron E. MORRIS, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

165 A.D.3d 1489

86 N.Y.S.3d 309

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Tyron E. MORRIS, Appellant.

108595

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

Calendar Date: September 7, 2018

Decided and Entered: October 25, 2018

Rural Law Center of New York, Castleton (Cynthia Feathers of counsel), for appellant, and appellant pro se.

John M. Muehl, District Attorney, Cooperstown (Michael F. Getman of counsel), for respondent.

Before: Garry, P.J., McCarthy, Egan Jr., Lynch and Devine, JJ.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

McCarthy, J.

Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Otsego County (Lambert, J.), rendered August 3, 2015, convicting defendant following a nonjury trial of the crime of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree.

Defendant was arrested for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree stemming from allegations that he sold heroin to a confidential informant (hereinafter CI). County Court denied defendant's motion to preclude identification testimony, finding that the CI's identification of defendant from a photograph was confirmatory in nature. Following a nonjury trial, the court found defendant guilty of the sole count and sentenced him, as a second felony offender, to a prison term of 10 years to be followed by three years of postrelease supervision. Defendant appeals.

The verdict is not against the weight of the evidence. Scientific testing established that the substance that the CI purchased was heroin. A police investigator testified that he did not see the seller, but listened to the drug transaction in real time over a recording device. The only disputed issue was whether defendant was the person who sold the heroin to the CI. Defendant contends that the CI was unworthy of belief because he received favorable treatment in exchange for assisting the police, and because his testimony was inconsistent regarding when he first met defendant and whether he saw defendant after the sale at issue. These circumstances do not render a person's testimony incredible as a matter of law, but are merely factors for the factfinder to consider when assessing the witness's credibility (see People v. Peterkin, 159 A.D.3d 1196, 1197, 72 N.Y.S.3d 646 [2018], lv denied 31 N.Y.3d 1151, 83 N.Y.S.3d 433, 108 N.E.3d 507 [2018] ; People v. Wynn, 149 A.D.3d 1252, 1254–1255, 52 N.Y.S.3d 136 [2017], lv denied 29 N.Y.3d 1136, 64 N.Y.S.3d 686, 86 N.E.3d 578 [2017] ). Giving deference to County Court's credibility determinations, reached after the CI was subjected to extensive cross-examination on these issues, we find that the verdict is not against the weight of the evidence (see People v. Peterkin, 159 A.D.3d at 1198, 72 N.Y.S.3d 646 ).

County Court did not err in denying defendant's motion to preclude identification testimony. The People are generally required to give notice if they intend to offer testimony regarding a witness's observation of the defendant at the time of the offense, with such evidence being precluded if notice is not given (see CPL 710.30 ; People v. Pacquette, 25 N.Y.3d 575, 578, 14 N.Y.S.3d 775, 35 N.E.3d 845 [2015] ). "The statutory scheme ensures that the identifications are not the product of undue suggestiveness, and lessens the possibility of misidentification" ( People v. Boyer, 6 N.Y.3d 427, 431, 813 N.Y.S.2d 31, 846 N.E.2d 461 [2006] [citations omitted]; see People v. Rodriguez, 79 N.Y.2d 445, 449, 583 N.Y.S.2d 814, 593 N.E.2d 268 [1992] ). However, the Court of Appeals has recognized a confirmatory identification exception. Under that exception, CPL 710.30 does not apply – so no CPL 710.30 notice or Wade hearing is required – because there is no risk of misidentification where a court finds that the identifying witness knew the "defendant so well that no amount of police suggestiveness could possibly taint the identification" ( People v. Rodriguez, 79 N.Y.2d at 453, 583 N.Y.S.2d 814, 593 N.E.2d 268 ; accord People v. Boyer, 6 N.Y.3d at 432, 813 N.Y.S.2d 31, 846 N.E.2d 461 ). Relevant factors for a court to consider when determining whether the witness is sufficiently familiar with the defendant include "the number of times the witness saw the defendant prior to the crime, the duration and nature of those encounters, time periods and...