People v. Davis

Apr 1, 2002
Reporters:
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—Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Marrus, J.), rendered ‍‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‍February 9, 2000, convicting him of murder in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The trial court properly refused to charge the defense ‍‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‍of justification. No reasonable view of the evidence established the basic elements of that defense (see People v Butts, 72 NY2d 746). Furthermore, the defendant’s claim that his counsel was ineffective because he ‍‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‍failed to make a specific argument in support of a justification charge is without merit. A justification defense would have been weak and inconsistent with the facts of the case (see ‍‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‍People v Rhodes, 281 AD2d 225). Thus, the defendant did not demonstrate that his counsel failed to provide meaningful representation (see People v Ford, 86 NY2d 397; People v Benevento, 91 NY2d 708, 712-713).

The sentence imposed was ‍‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‍not excessive (see People v Suitte, 90 AD2d 80). Santucci, J.P., Feuerstein, S. Miller and Schmidt, JJ., concur.