People v. Stuewe

Jul 13, 1984
Reporters:
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— Judgment unanimously affirmed. Memorandum: Defendant’s conviction of arson in the third degree was ‍​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‍not against the weight of the evidence. The People established motive and opportunity to commit the crime and excluded any reasonable hypothesis that the fire was innocent in ‍​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‍nature (People v Feuerstein, 74 AD2d 853). The testimony of the People’s expert witnesses did not impermissibly indicate that the fire was set intentionally (People v Grutz, 212 NY 72, 82; People ‍​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‍v Vincek, 75 AD2d 412, 416). K The Trial Judge properly refused to admit in evidence the results of a polygraph examination (People v Leone, 25 NY2d 511; People v Hughes, 88 ‍​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‍AD2d 17, 22, affd 59 NY2d 523). Other issues raised have been examined and found to be without merit. (Appeal from judgment of Erie County Court, McCarthy, J. — ‍​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‍arson, third degree.) Present — Doerr, J. P., Boomer, Green, O’Donnell and Schnepp, JJ.