People v. Randolph

Dec 12, 2000
Reporters:
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Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Denis Boyle, J.), rendered April 1, 1998, convicting defendant, upon ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍his plea of guilty, of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, and sentencing him to a term of 5 years probation, unanimously affirmed.

Defendant’s suppression motion ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍was properly denied. There is no basis upon which to disturb the court’s credibility determinations, which are supported by the record. Defendant’s suspicious acts of nervously stopping and turning ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍around to look at the slowly passing vehicle four to six times warranted the inference that defendant recognized the unmarked car as a police vehicle, and supplied an objective ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍credible reason for the police to approach defendant and request information (see, People v De Bour, 40 NY2d 210, 220), resulting in their observation of what appeared to be a ‍​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍gun in defendant’s waistband. Concur — Tom, J. P., Ellerin, Wallach, Rubin and Saxe, JJ.