People v. HernandezPeople v. Hernandez
In fulfilling our responsibility to conduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence (see
Contrary to the defendant‘s contention, the child‘s out-of-court communications, as testified to by her parents, were not erroneously admitted into evidence under the excited utterance exception to the hearsay rule. The surrounding circumstances reasonably justify the conclusion that the child‘s communications were not made under the impetus of studied reflection (see People v Edwards, 47 NY2d 493, 497 [1979]; People v Whitlock, 95 AD3d 909, 910 [2012]; People v Clemente, 84 AD3d 829, 830 [2011]). Further, because the communications were nontestimonial in nature, the admission of this evidence did not violate the defendant‘s right to confront a witness against him (see People v Clemente, 84 AD3d at 830; People v Legere, 81 AD3d 746, 750 [2011]; People v Melendez, 71 AD3d 1166, 1167 [2010]).
The defendant‘s challenge to certain testimony of the People‘s medical expert is unpreserved for appellate review (see People v Arroyo, 59 AD3d 634, 634 [2009]; People v Clas, 54 AD3d 770, 770 [2008]), and, in any event, is without merit (see generally People v Rivers, 18 NY3d 222, 228 [2011]).
Viewed in their totality, the circumstances reveal that the defendant was not deprived of the effective assistance of counsel (see Strickland v Washington, 466 US 668 [1984]; People v Baldi, 54 NY2d 137 [1981]).
The defendant‘s remaining contention is without merit.
Balkin, J.P., Austin, Sgroi and LaSalle, JJ., concur.