People v. Wiggins

Apr 19, 2004
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Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the County Court, Orange County (Rosenwasser, J.), rendered October 25, 2001, convicting him of burglary ‍‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‍in the second degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, and criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant’s contention that the sentence imposed improperly penalized him for exercising his ‍‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‍right to a jury trial is unpreserved for appellate review, as it was not raised before the sentencing court (see CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Best, 295 AD2d 441 [2002]; People v Mack, 293 AD2d 761 [2002]). In any event, the contention is without merit. The fact that the sentence imposed after trial was ‍‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‍greater than that offered during plea negotiations does not establish the defendant’s entitlement to a lesser sentence (see People v Mack, supra; People v Best, supra).

The defendant’s remaining contention, that it was an improvident exercise of the County Court’s discretion to permit cross-examination concerning the existence ‍‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‍of prior remote convictions, is unpreserved for appellate review (see People v Polk, 284 AD2d 416 [2001]; People v Taylor, 253 AD2d 471 [1998]). In any event, in light of the defendant’s extensive period of incarceration in the intervening years since the prior remote convictions, it was a provident exercise ‍‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‍of the County Court’s discretion to permit the cross-examination (see People v Maurer, 186 AD2d 228 [1992]). H. Miller, J.P., Adams, Townes and Mastro, JJ., concur.