People v. Travison

Decision Date07 December 1978
Citation46 N.Y.2d 758,413 N.Y.S.2d 648,386 N.E.2d 256
Parties, 386 N.E.2d 256 The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Daniel TRAVISON, Appellant.
CourtNew York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
OPINION OF THE COURT MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed on the opinions of Justices A. Franklin Mahoney and T. Paul Kane at the Appellate Division (59 A.D.2d 404, 400 N.Y.S.2d 188).

In our court appellant additionally argues that the Appellate Division committed error in the manner in which it upheld the denial of his pretrial suppression motion. After a pretrial hearing at which evidence was introduced with respect to pretrial photo identification and lineup procedures, appellant's motion to suppress his in-court identification by the complainant was denied on the ground that the pretrial procedures were not impermissibly suggestive. The Appellate Division, without addressing the rationale of the suppression court, held that even if it were to be assumed that the pretrial procedures were illegal, the complainant had such an opportunity for observation at the time of the sexual assault as to establish an untainted independent source for her in-court identification testimony. Appellant now argues that the denial of his suppression motion cannot be upheld on this alternative ground inasmuch as the only testimony as to independent source was given at the trial, none having been offered at the suppression hearing.

Any error in the disposition of the suppression issue at the Appellate Division was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt in the circumstances of this case. At trial the question of identity was not put in issue. Appellant conceded that he had spent an extended time with the complainant but offered an entirely different description of what had occurred during their encounter. In this circumstance, when there is no suggestion that defense strategy on the trial was in any way affected by the denial of suppression, appellant may not now be heard to complain of errors with respect to the denial of his motion to suppress the complainant's in-court identification testimony.

BREITEL, C. J., and JASEN, GABRIELLI, JONES, WACHTLER, FUCHSBERG and COOKE, JJ., concur.

Order affirmed in a memorandum.

To continue reading

Request your trial
11 cases
  • People v. Roopchand
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • February 19, 1985
    ...411). Moreover, the statement was made in a noncustodial, noncoerced environment and was plainly voluntary (People v. Travison, 46 N.Y.2d 758, 413 N.Y.S.2d 648, 386 N.E.2d 256, affg. 59 A.D.2d 404, 407, 400 N.Y.S.2d 188, cert. den. 441 U.S. 949, 99 S.Ct. 2174, 60 L.Ed.2d 1053; People v. Pra......
  • Williams v. Smith
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of New York
    • January 11, 2011
    ...he had been denied a fair trial where the prosecutor cross-examined him as to prior bad acts. 400 N.Y.S.2d 188 (3d Dep't 1977), aff'd, 46 N.Y.2d 758 (1978), cert. denied, 441 U.S. 949 (1979). Because his trial attorney had moved to suppress one prior bad act before the start of trial, the A......
  • Travison v. Jones
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of New York
    • September 21, 1981
    ... ... He was sentenced to 3½-7 years and the date of the judgment of conviction is January 6, 1977. The judgment of conviction was affirmed by the Appellate Division, Third Department, with one Justice dissenting. People v. Travison, 59 A.D.2d 404, 400 N.Y.S.2d 188 (1977). The New York Court of Appeals affirmed unanimously. 46 N.Y.2d 758, 413 N.Y.S.2d 648, 386 N.E.2d 256 (1978). The United States Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari, May 14, 1979 ...         The complete grounds to support the ... ...
  • People v. Krom
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • January 6, 1983
    ...a clearly inappropriate exercise of our discretion (People v. Travison, 59 A.D.2d 404, 408, 400 N.Y.S.2d 188, affd. 46 N.Y.2d 758, 413 N.Y.S.2d 648, 386 N.E.2d 256, cert. den. 441 U.S. 949, 99 S.Ct. 2174, 60 L.Ed.2d 1053; see, also, People v. Streiff, 41 A.D.2d 259, 266, 342 N.Y.S.2d 543, a......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT