People v. Webb

Decision Date07 November 1983
Citation97 A.D.2d 779,468 N.Y.S.2d 411
PartiesThe PEOPLE, etc., Respondent, v. Isaac WEBB, Jr., Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Michael Eisenstein, New York City, for appellant.

Elizabeth Holtzman, Dist. Atty., Brooklyn (Barbara D. Underwood, Alan D. Rubinstein and Karen Lorentz, Asst. Dist. Attys., Brooklyn, of counsel), for respondent.

Before MOLLEN, P.J., and TITONE, LAZER and RUBIN, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

Appeal by defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County, rendered February 15, 1980, convicting him of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree, and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Judgment affirmed.

On September 3, 1976, police executed a search warrant at defendant's apartment in Brooklyn and uncovered powdery substances containing heroin, glassine envelopes and other narcotics paraphernalia. As a result, defendant was charged in an indictment with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. Defendant was convicted on the indictment, but his conviction was reversed by this court (see People v. Webb, 68 A.D.2d 331, 417 N.Y.S.2d 92), and he now appeals from the judgment of conviction rendered on the retrial. We affirm and comment briefly on several of his arguments.

First, defendant complains that the trial court unduly limited cross-examination at a pretrial suppression hearing. He had sought to suppress the evidence obtained pursuant to the search warrant on the ground that the warrant was legally deficient because it did not accurately describe the premises to be searched. In our view, there was no need for an evidentiary hearing as defendant expressly raised only legal issues, not factual ones, which were resolvable by reading the warrant and supporting papers (see CPL 710.60; People v. Roberto H., 67 A.D.2d 549, 416 N.Y.S.2d 305). Consequently, any circumscription of cross-examination was entirely irrelevant (cf. People v. Plevy, 52 N.Y.2d 58, 66, 436 N.Y.S.2d 224, 417 N.E.2d 518). In any event, the court did not abuse its discretion in limiting cross-examination on collateral issues (People v. Duffy, 36 N.Y.2d 258, 262-263, 367 N.Y.S.2d 236, 326 N.E.2d 804) and suppression was properly denied (cf. People v. Salgado, 57 N.Y.2d 662, 454 N.Y.S.2d 69, 439 N.E.2d 878; People v. Taggart, 51 A.D.2d 863, 380 N.Y.S.2d 168).

Nor was it improper to admit into evidence defendant's statement that "I've done my thing and I'll do my time". By failing to object on the ground that he did not receive statutory notice (CPL 710.30), defendant waived his right to complain on appeal (People v. Ross, 21 N.Y.2d 258, 262, 287 N.Y.S.2d 376, 234 N.E.2d 427; People v. Brown, 33 A.D.2d 735, 305 N.Y.S.2d 515; People v. Weis, 32 A.D.2d 856, 858, 301 N.Y.S.2d 186). Moreover, notice was probably not required because the People did not intend to, and did not, in fact, use the statement as part of their direct case (see People v. Harris, 25 N.Y.2d 175, 177, 303 N.Y.S.2d 71, 250 N.E.2d 349, affd. 401 U.S. 222, 91 S.Ct. 643, 28 L.Ed.2d 1; ...

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21 cases
  • People v. Roopchand
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 19 Febrero 1985
    ...It appears that the People did not intend to elicit the statement and it was volunteered by the police officer (see People v. Webb, 97 A.D.2d 779, 468 N.Y.S.2d 411). Moreover, the statement was made in a noncustodial, noncoerced environment and was plainly voluntary (People v. Travison, 46 ......
  • People v. Blackshear
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 19 Agosto 1985
    ...People v. Canty, 60 N.Y.2d 830, 469 N.Y.S.2d 693, 457 N.E.2d 800; People v. Townes, 104 A.D.2d 1057, 480 N.Y.S.2d 962; People v. Webb, 97 A.D.2d 779, 468 N.Y.S.2d 411). Moreover, any confusion which might have been caused by the statement was in all likelihood cured by the trial court's rep......
  • People v. Man Lee Lo
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 11 Julio 1986
    ...to prove defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt (see People v. Navarro, 104 A.D.2d 958, 959, 480 N.Y.S.2d 575; People v. Webb, 97 A.D.2d 779, 468 N.Y.S.2d 411). None of the other issues raised by defendant warrant reversal. The claimed errors, if errors at all, are either unpreserved o......
  • People v. Guerrero
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 20 Mayo 1985
    ...(see People v. Roopchand, 107 A.D.2d 35, 37, 485 N.Y.S.2d 332; People v. Pray, 99 A.D.2d 915, 473 N.Y.S.2d 267; People v. Webb, 97 A.D.2d 779, 468 N.Y.S.2d 411; cf. Matter of Eddie M., 110 A.D.2d 635, 487 N.Y.S.2d 122), that question need not be reached inasmuch as the issue was not preserv......
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