People v. Lee

Nov 28, 1994
Reporters:
,

—Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Westchester County (Herold, J.), rendered December 2, 1991, convicting ‍​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‍him of rape in the first degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant contends that he was deprived of a fair trial by several allegedly improper comments that were made by the prosecutor ‍​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‍while cross-examining the defense witnesses and during summation. We find that the majority of the challenges to the prosecutor’s remarks are unpreserved for appellate review (see, CPL 470.05 [2]). In any event, the challenged remarks are, for the most part, fair response ‍​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‍to the defendant’s summation, fair comment on the evidence, or otherwise proper (see, People v Ashwal, 39 NY2d 105; People v Holland, 204 AD2d 483; People v Lamour, 203 AD2d 388). The remaining comments are not so prejudicial as to warrant reversal, especially in light ‍​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‍of the County Court’s curative instructions and the overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt (see, People v Crimmins, 36 NY2d 230, 237; People v Galloway, 54 NY2d 396; People v Holland, supra; People v Lamour, supra).

We have considered the defendant’s remaining contentions, including those raised ‍​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‍in his supplemental pro se brief, and find them to be without merit. Thompson, J. P., Lawrence, O’Brien and Krausman, JJ., concur.