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People v. McQueenPeople v. McQueen

New York Court of Appeals
Feb 24, 1981
Reporters:
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OPINION OF THE COURT

Memorandum.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.

Defendant, having been advised ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‍by counsel, and after thorough and appropriate inquiry by, the court to ascertain that his waiver of his right to a jury trial was knowingly and voluntarily made, ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‍elected to proceed without a jury and executed a waiver of that right.

The prosecutor, expecting to proceed with the voir dire, had excused the complaining witness and, therefore, the case was ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‍adjourned to the next day. On the next day, however, defense counsel advised the court that the defendant *1026had changed his mind and without giving any other reason requested that ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‍the waiver be vacated. The court refused his request and under these circumstances, we cannot say as a matter of law that the court abused its discretion.

Chief Judge ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‍Cooke and Judges Jasen, Gabrielli, Jones, Waghtler, Fuchsberg and Meyer concur.

Order affirmed in a memorandum.

Case Details

Case Name: People v. McQueen
Court Name: New York Court of Appeals
Date Published: Feb 24, 1981
Citations: 52 N.Y.2d 1025; 420 N.E.2d 97; 438 N.Y.S.2d 299; 1981 N.Y. LEXIS 2254
Court Abbreviation: N.Y.
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