People v Torres-Romero

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People v Torres-Romero 2017 NY Slip Op 33013(U) December 4, 2017 County Court, Westchester County Docket Number: 16-1324 Judge: Anne E. Minihan Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. [* 1] FILED AND ENTERED COUNTY COURT: STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER --------------------------------------------------~---~-----------)( ON JJ-frr 2011 . WESTCHESTER THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK -againstDECISION & ORDER Indictment No. 16-1324 · ESTEBAN TORRES-ROMERO·, Defendant. ~~~~:-~:---------------:---------------------------------X bo.I ~/l,Eo , ~~~ : ~ ~:N J o~ Defendant, ESTEBAN TORRES-ROMERO, having been indicted dr'){i.s2K% 17 for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, as a Felony (Vehicle and Traffic L"a.~§---1192. [2-a ff/Jf'f,STER · Driving While Intoxicated, as a Felony (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 [2]); Driving While Intoxicated, as a Felony (Vehicle and Traffic Law§ 1192 [3]); and Violation of Motor Vehicle License (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 509 [ 1]) 1; has filed an omnibus motion which consists of a. Notice of Motion and an Affirmation in Support. In response, the People have filed an Affirmation in Opposition together with a Memorandum of Law. Upon consideration of these papers, the stenographic transcript of the grand jury minutes arid the Consent Discovery Order entered in this case, this court disposes of this motion as follows: " ' I. MOTION to INSPECT, DISMISS and/or REDUCE CPL ARTICLE 190 The court grants the defendant's motion to the limited extent that the court has conducted, with the consent of the People, an in camera inspection of the stenographic transcription of the grand jury proceedings. Upon such review, the court finds no basis upon which to grant defendant's application to dismiss or reduce the indictment. ;, ~c...,The indictment contains a plain and concise factual statement in each count which, without allegatioris-.of an evidentiary nature, asserts facts supporting every element of the offense charged and the defendant's commission thereof with sufficient precision as to clearly apprise the defendant of the conduct which is the subject of the indictment (CPL 200.50). The indictment charges each and every· element of the crimes, and alleges that the defendant committed the acts which constitute the crimes at a · specified place during a specified time period· and, therefore, is sufficient on its face (People v Cohen, 52 NY2d 584 [1981]; People v Iannone, 45 NY2d 589 [1978]). The defendant, who bears the burden of refuting with substantial evidence the presumption of regularity which attaches to official court proceedings (People v Pichardo, 168 AD2d 577 2d Dept 1990]), has offered no sworn factual allegations, in support of her argument that the grand jury 1 Defendant is charged with driving while intoxicated as a felony as he was previously convicted of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 (3) on May 26;20 I 0 in the White Plains City Court, Westchester County, New York (see CPL 200.60). [* 2] proceedings were defective. The minutes reveal a quorum of the grand jurors was present during the presentation of evidence, that the Assistant District Attorney properly instructed the grand jury on the. law, and only permitted those grand jurors who heard all the evidence to vote the matter (see People v · · Calbud, 49 NY2d 389 [1980]; People v Valles, 62 NY2d 36 [1984]; People v Burch, 108 AD3d 679 [2d Dept 2013]). The evidence presented, if accepted as true, is legally sufficient to establish every element of each offense charged (CPL 210.30[2]). "Courts assessing the sufficiency of the evidence before a grand jury must evaluate whether the evidence, viewed most favorably to the People, if unexplained and uncontradicted--and deferring all questions as to the weight or quality of the ·evidence--would warrant conviction" (People v Mills, 1 NY3d 269, 274-275 [2002]). Legally sufficient evidence means competent evidence which, if accepted as true, would establish every element of an offense charged and the defendant's commission thereof (CPL 70.10[1]; see People v Flowers, 138 AD3d 1138, 1139 [2d Dept 2016]). "In the context of a Grand Jury proceeding, legal sufficiency means prima facie proof of the crimes charged, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt" (People v Jessup, 90 AD3d 782, 783 [2d Dept 2011]). "The reviewing court's inquiry is limited to whether the facts, if proven, and the inferences that logically flow from those facts supply proof of every element of the charged crimes, and whether the Grand Jury could rationally have drawn the guilty inference. That other, innocent inferences could possibly be drawn from those facts is irrelevant to the sufficiency inquiry as long as the Grand Jury could rationally have drawn the guilty inference" (People v Bello, 92 NY2d 523, 526 [1998]). Defendant's request to dismiss the indictment pursuant to CPL 210 .20 and pursuant to 210 .40 in furtherance of justice is denied. The defendant has cited no persuasive or compelling factor, consideration or circumstances under CPL 210.40 warranting dismissal of this indictment. In reaching a decision on the motion, the court has examined the factors listed in CPL 210..40, which include, in relevant part, the seriousness and circumstances of the offense; the extent of harm caused by the offense; the evidence of guilt; the history, character and condition of the defendant; any exceptionally serious misconduct of law enforcement personnel; the purpose and effect of imposing upon the defendant a sentence authorized for the charged offenses; the potential impact of a dismissal on public confidence in the judicial system; the potential impact of dismissal upon the safety and welfare of the community; and other relevant facts suggesting that a conviction would not serve a useful purpose. Having done so, the court has discerned no compelling factor, consideration or circumstance which clearly demonstrates that further prosecution or conviction of the defendant would constitute or result .in injustice. Based upon the in camera review, since this court does not find release of the grand jury minutes or any portion thereof necessary to assist it in making any determinations and as the defendant has not set forth a compelling or partkularized need for the production of the grand jury minutes, defendant's application for a copy of the grand jury minutes is denied (People v Jang, 17 AD3d 693 [2d Dept 2005]; CPL 190.25[4J[a]). II. MOTION to SUPPRESS NOTICED STATEMENTS This branch of the defendant's motion seeking to suppress statements on the grounds that they were unconstitutionally obtained is granted to the extent that a Huntley hearing shall be held prior to trial to determine whether any statements allegedly made by the defendant, which have been noticed by the People pursuant to CPL 710.30 (l)(a), were involuntarily made by the defendant within the meaning of 2 [* 3] CPL 60.45 (see CPL 710.20 (3); CPL 710.60[3][b]; People v Weaver, 49 NY2d 1012 [1980]), obtained in· violation of defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel, and/or obtained in violation of the -· defendant's Fourth Amendment rights (see Dunaway v New York, 442 US 200 [1979]) .. III. MOTION to SUPPRESS EVIDENCE Defendant moves to suppress any evidence obtained as a result of the arrest, and obtained as a result of the field sobriety tests including the chemical tests conducted at the Westchester Medical · Center. This branch of the defendant's motion is granted solely to the extent of conducting a Mapp . hearing_ prior to trial to determine the propriety of any search resulting in the seizure of evidence (see Mapp v Ohio, 367 US 643 [1961]) including the results of the chemical tests to determine, inter alia, whether the defendant consented to the tests while at the hospital (People v Gore, 117 AD3d 845 [2d Dept 2014]) and/or that they were administered in accord with VTL §1194 (2)(a) (see People v Atkins, 85 NY2d 1007, 1008 '[199?]). The hearing will also address whether any evidence was obtained in violation of the defendant's Fourth Amendment rights (see Dunaway v New York, 442 US 200 [1979]). ·IV. MOTION for SANDOVAL and VENTIMIGLIA HEARINGS Defendant has moved for a pre-trial hearing to permit the trial court to determine the extent, if at all, to which the People may inquire into the defendant's prior criminal convictions, prior uncharged criminal, vicious or immoral conduct. The People have consented to a Sandoval hearing. Accordingly, ·it is ordered that immedia~ely prior to trial a hearing shall be conducted pursuant to People v Sandoval (34 NY2d 371 [ 1974 ]). At said hearing, the People shall be required to notify the defendant of all specific instances of his criminal, prior uncharged criminal, vicious or immoral conduct of which they· . have knowledge and which they intend to use in an attempt to impeach the defendant's credibility if he elects to testify at trial (CPL 240.43). \ At the hearing, the defendant shall bear the burden of identifying any instances of his prior · misconduct that he submits the People should not be permitted to use to impeach his credibility: The · defendant shall be required to identify the basis of his belief that each event or incident may be unduly prejudicial to his ability to testify as a witness on his own behalf (see People y Matthews, 68 NY2d 118 [1986]; People v Malphurs, 111AD2d266 [2d Dept 1985]). · 3 [* 4] Defendant's application for a hearing, pursuant to People v Ventimiglia (52 NY2d 350 [1981]) is denied since the People have not indicated an intention to use evidence of any prior bad act or uncharged crimes of the defendant during its .case in chief (see People v Molineaux, 168 NY2d 264 [ 1901 ]). If the People move to introduce s.uch evidence, the defendant may renew this aspect of his motion. The foregoing constitutes· the opinion, decision and order of this court.· Dated: White Plains, New York December 2017 -.t , Westchester County Court Judge To: BY: HON. ANTHONY A. SCARPINO, JR. District Attorney, Westchester County 111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard White Plains, New York 10601 Kevin K. Jones, Esq. Assistant District· Attorney Andrew C. Quinn, Esq. Attorney for Defendant Torres-Romero 399 Knollwood Road Suite 220 White Plains, New.York 10603 4

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