People v. Myers

• Citation: 87 A.D.3d 826,928 N.Y.S.2d 407,2011 N.Y. Slip Op. 06313
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,v.Nathaniel MYERS, Defendant–Appellant. (Appeal No. 1.)
• Decision Date: 19 August 2011
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

87 A.D.3d 826

928 N.Y.S.2d 407

2011 N.Y. Slip Op. 06313

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent,

v.Nathaniel MYERS, Defendant–Appellant. (Appeal No. 1.)

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

Aug. 19, 2011.

The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc., Buffalo (Susan C. Ministero of Counsel), for Defendant–Appellant.Nathaniel Myers, Defendant–Appellant pro se.Frank A. Sedita, III, District Attorney, Buffalo (Christopher P. Jurusik of Counsel), for Respondent.PRESENT: SMITH, J.P., CENTRA, FAHEY, GORSKI, AND MARTOCHE, JJ.MEMORANDUM:

In appeal No. 1, defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him following a bench trial of assault in the second degree (Penal Law § 120.05[2] ) and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree (§ 265.02[1] ) and, in appeal No. 2, defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him following the same bench trial of criminal contempt in the second degree (§ 215.50[3] ). Defendant failed to preserve for our review his contention in appeal No. 1 that the evidence is legally insufficient to establish that the victim, his ex-wife, sustained a physical injury to support the conviction of assault ( see People v. Gray, 86 N.Y.2d 10, 19, 629 N.Y.S.2d 173, 652 N.E.2d 919). In any event, that contention is without merit. A person is guilty of assault in the second degree when, “[w]ith intent to cause physical injury to another person, he [or she] causes such injury to such person ... by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument” (§ 120.05[2] ). Physical injury is defined as “ impairment of physical condition or substantial pain” (§ 10.00[9] ). Here, the evidence presented at trial established that defendant struck the victim in the head with a glass liquor bottle, knocking her to the ground. The victim was bleeding from the wound and was taken to the hospital, where she received pain medication, a hematoma on her head was drained, and she received stitches. The victim described the pain after it occurred as “more than ten” on a scale of 1 to 10. She was prescribed a narcotic drug for pain relief, and she testified that she continued to have pain in the days that followed. She returned to the hospital five more times for further treatment of her wound, and the wound has left a scar. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the People ( see People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620, 621, 467 N.Y.S.2d 349, 454 N.E.2d 932), we conclude that there is a valid line of reasoning and permissible inferences that could lead a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim sustained a physical injury ( see People v. Rojas, 61 N.Y.2d 726, 472 N.Y.S.2d 615, 460 N.E.2d 1100; People v. Krotoszynski, 43 A.D.3d 450, 452–453, 840 N.Y.S.2d 627, lv. denied 9 N.Y.3d 962, 848 N.Y.S.2d 31, 878 N.E.2d 615; People v. Holmes, 9 A.D.3d 689, 690–691, 780 N.Y.S.2d 96, lv. denied 3 N.Y.3d 675, 784 N.Y.S.2d 14, 817 N.E.2d 832).

Also with respect to appeal No. 1, viewing the evidence in light of the elements of the crimes of assault in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree in this bench trial ( see People v. Danielson, 9 N.Y.3d 342, 349, 849 N.Y.S.2d 480, 880 N.E.2d 1), we conclude that the verdict is not against the weight of the evidence with respect to those crimes ( see generally People v. Bleakley, 69 N.Y.2d 490, 495, 515 N.Y.S.2d 761, 508 N.E.2d 672). Contrary to defendant's contention, the testimony of the two main prosecution witnesses “was not incredible as a matter of law inasmuch as it was not impossible of belief, i.e., it was not manifestly untrue, physically impossible, contrary to experience, or self-contradictory” ( People v. Harris, 56 A.D.3d 1267, 1268, 868 N.Y.S.2d 448, lv. denied 11 N.Y.3d 925, 874 N.Y.S.2d 10, 902 N.E.2d 444; see People v. Thomas, 272 A.D.2d 892, 893, 708 N.Y.S.2d 775, lv. denied 95 N.Y.2d 858, 714 N.Y.S.2d 10, 736 N.E.2d 871).

Defendant further contends with respect to appeal Nos. 1 and 2 that County Court erred in admitting in evidence three letters allegedly written by defendant to the victim and a recorded telephone conversation between defendant and the victim. We reject that contention. With respect to the letters, “[c]ircumstantial evidence may satisfy the requirement that a writing be authenticated before it may be introduced” ( People v. Murray, 122 A.D.2d 81, 82, 504 N.Y.S.2d 228, lv. denied 68 N.Y.2d 916, 508 N.Y.S.2d 1036, 501 N.E.2d 609; see People v. Manganaro, 218 N.Y. 9, 13, 112 N.E. 436; Thomas, 272 A.D.2d at 893, 708 N.Y.S.2d 775). Although the victim testified that the letters were not in defendant's handwriting, the People established a sufficient foundation to admit the letters in evidence ( see Thomas, 272 A.D.2d at 893, 708 N.Y.S.2d 775). “The letters refer to the crime [of assault] and the circumstances of the prosecution in terms that justify the inference that defendant wrote them” ( id.; see People v. Bryant, 12 A.D.3d 1077, 1079, 785 N.Y.S.2d 201, lv. denied 4 N.Y.3d 761, 792 N.Y.S.2d 5, 825 N.E.2d 137). In addition, the victim testified that she knew that defendant was the author of the letters based on certain information in the letters, including the nicknames of both the victim and defendant ( see Bryant, 12 A.D.3d at 1079, 785 N.Y.S.2d 201; Murray, 122 A.D.2d at 82, 504 N.Y.S.2d 228). With respect to the recorded telephone conversation between defendant and the victim while defendant was incarcerated, the People established a sufficient foundation for its admission in evidence ( see People v. Williams, 55 A.D.3d 1398, 864 N.Y.S.2d 611, lv. denied 11 N.Y.3d 901, 873 N.Y.S.2d 277, 901 N.E.2d 771; see generally People v. Ely, 68 N.Y.2d 520, 527–528, 510 N.Y.S.2d 532, 503 N.E.2d 88). The victim identified the voice on the tape as defendant's voice, and she recalled the conversation. In addition, the deputy in charge of maintaining the recording system at the jail described the procedure for recording telephone conversations and testified that the recording had not been altered in any way. The People thus established “ ‘that the offered evidence [was] genuine and that there [had] been no tampering with it’ ” ( Ely, 68 N.Y.2d at 527, 510 N.Y.S.2d 532, 503 N.E.2d 88; see People v. Manor, 38 A.D.3d 1257, 1258, 832 N.Y.S.2d 341, lv. denied 9 N.Y.3d 847, 840 N.Y.S.2d 774, 872 N.E.2d 887).

Defendant contends with respect to both appeals that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. We reject that contention. Insofar as he contends that defense counsel was ineffective in failing to seek a missing witness charge, we note that defendant failed to establish the absence of a legitimate explanation for defense counsel's failure to do so ( see People v. Benevento, 91 N.Y.2d 708, 712–713, 674 N.Y.S.2d 629, 697 N.E.2d 584; People v. Maryon, 20 A.D.3d 911, 913, 797 N.Y.S.2d 684, lv. denied 5 N.Y.3d 854, 806 N.Y.S.2d 174, 840 N.E.2d 143). Indeed, “[a]bsent proof that such witness would have provided noncumulative testimony which was favorable to [the prosecution], there was no basis for such a charge” ( People v. Thomas, 299 A.D.2d 942, 943, 750 N.Y.S.2d 417, lv. denied 99 N.Y.2d 620, 757 N.Y.S.2d 831, 787 N.E.2d 1177 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see generally People v. Savinon, 100 N.Y.2d 192, 197, 761 N.Y.S.2d 144, 791 N.E.2d 401). Furthermore, contrary to defendant's contention, the fact that defense counsel made a general rather than a specific motion for a trial order of dismissal is of no moment where, as here, a specific motion would have had...