People v. McRae

Jul 1, 2010
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Lippman and Judges Ciparick

OPINION OF THE COURT

Memorandum.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed. Because the ‍​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‍accomplice testimony was corroborated with independent evidence as well as evidence that “harmonized” with the accomplice testimony, the evidence was legally sufficient to support defendant’s convictions (see People v ‍​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‍Reome, 15 NY3d 188, 194 [2010]). Next, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion when denying defendant’s eve-of-trial application to relieve his second court-appointed attorney and to ‍​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‍appoint substitute counsel. Finally, defendant argues that the trial judge’s failure to properly instruct the jury on the affirmative defense to Penal Law § 160.15 (4) affected the entire verdict. ‍​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‍This claim is unpreserved for our review.

Chief Judge Lippman and Judges Ciparick, Graffeo, Read, Smith, Pigott and Jones concur.

*763 On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.11 of the ‍​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‍Rules of the Court of Appeals (22 NYCRR 500.11), order affirmed in a memorandum.