Articles Posted in Criminal Law and Justice

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July 20-24. 2009.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, July 22, 2009 US v. Allen, No. 08-1451
Conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm is affirmed where: 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in failing to conduct an evidentiary hearing before denying defendant’s motion to suppress as defendant failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact regarding the plain view analysis or the existence of probable cause; 2) the court did not abuse of discretion by finding without an evidentiary hearing that his statements to the police were voluntary, as there was an affidavit and a signed Miranda acknowledgment, and defendant’s assertions were unsupported by any references to specific statements he sought to suppress; and 3) the court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendant’s motion for reconsideration as defendant’s affidavit in support of his motion did not respond to the government’s plain view assertions or specify the alleged Miranda violations. Read more…

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, July 23, 2009 US v. Rodriguez-Barrios, No. 07-1854
Conviction for committing a carjacking resulting in death is affirmed where: 1) the court properly denied defendant’s motion for acquittal as the evidence was sufficient for a reasonable jury to conclude that defendant had the intent to kill or seriously harm the victim when he took control of her car; 2) the court did not err in excluding tape recordings of the victim as the recordings did not contradict the victim’s hearsay allegations of abuse; 3) the court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to allow defendant to present expert witness testimony regarding the reliability of eyewitness identification; 4) the court did not abuse its discretion denying defendant’s motion for a mistrial as the brief mention of the possibility of a polygraph examination did not warrant a mistrial; and 5) the court erroneously admitted certain statements made by the victim’s friend and mother, but the error was harmless. Read more..! .

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, July 23, 2009 US v. Wallace, No. 07-1884 Sentence for armed robbery and other crimes is affirmed where: 1) the district court properly applied the mandate rule and refused to consider defendant’s objection to sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice based on his perjury as defendant failed to challenge the enhancement in his first appeal and it became the law of the case; 2) the court properly applied the mandate rule to defendant’s objection to the stolen weapons enhancement; 3) defendant’s claim that his use of a dangerous weapon during the robbery was an improper basis for an upward departure and his claim that court’s decision to depart upwardly based on defendant’s disruption of government functions are both barred by the law of the case doctrine; 4) the court did not err in imposing a two-level increase for extreme psychological injury; 5) the court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward departure to his sentencing level based on his criminal history; and 6) defendant’s sentence was reaso! nable Continue reading

Update from the Lexis Alert Service,

July 24, 2009
1. People v. Bright, 1010, 5732/05, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 5607; 881 N.Y.S.2d 291; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5436, July 2, 2009, Decided, July 2, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Eduardo Padro, J.), …

2. People v. Thomas, 985, 5090/04, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 5636; 881 N.Y.S.2d 291; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5417, July 2, 2009, Decided, July 2, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment of resentence, Supreme Court, New York County, (Carol Berkman, J.), …

3. People v. Coronel, 975, 9516/98, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 5629; 881 N.Y.S.2d 293; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5414, July 2, 2009, Decided, July 2, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Michael R. Ambrecht, …

4. People v. Deoleo, 979, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 5632; 881 N.Y.S.2d 292; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5468, July 2, 2009, Decided, July 2, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Laura Ward, J.), …
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Update from the Lexis Alert Service,

July 16, 2009:

1. People v. Ross, 678, 4397/06, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4164; 62 A.D.3d 619; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4042, May 28, 2009, Decided, May 28, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (A. Kirke Bartley, …

2. People v. Boateng, 668, 380/06, 668A, 2434/06, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4157; 62 A.D.3d 614; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4052, May 28, 2009, Decided, May 28, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgments, Supreme Court, New York County (Maxwell Wiley, J.), …

3. People v. Glover, 109, 876/04, 110, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4168; 62 A.D.3d 626; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4053, May 28, 2009, Decided, May 28, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Micki A. Scherer, …

4. People v. Frederick, 663, 6348/03, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4155; 62 A.D.3d 612; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4041, May 28, 2009, Decided, May 28, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Ronald A. Zweibel, …

5. People v. Manrique, 674, 1575/06, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4162; 62 A.D.3d 617; 880 N.Y.S.2d 51; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4050, May 28, 2009, Decided, May 28, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Arlene D. Goldberg, …

6. People v. Hogans, 654, 1437/07, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4118; 62 A.D.3d 595; 878 N.Y.S.2d 890; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3988, May 26, 2009, Decided, May 26, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Lewis Bart Stone, …

7. People v. Nevarez, 630, 630A, 3633/06, 6046/06, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2009 NY Slip Op 4104; 62 A.D.3d 585; 878 N.Y.S.2d 888; 2009 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3992, May 26, 2009, Decided, May 26, 2009, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.
The People of the State …
Judgments, Supreme Court, New York County (Edward J. McLaughlin, …
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To view the full-text of cases you must sign in to FindLaw.com. All summaries are produced by Findlaw.

July 6-10, 2009.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, July 08, 2009 US v. Meadows, No. 08-1122 Conviction for firearms possession is affirmed where: 1) the district court properly denied defendant’s motion to suppress as the officers acted within the permissible scope of an investigatory stop when they handcuffed defendant and removed him from his sister’s home; 2) the court did not err in its handling of defendant’s status as a felon during trial as defendant was not unfairly prejudiced by any information about his criminal history that came before the jury; 3) the government did not err in the challenged statements it made during its closing summation; and 4) the government did not err in its instructions to the jury.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, July 08, 2009 US v. Bryant , No. 08-1160 Conviction and sentence for drug crimes is affirmed in part and reversed in part where: 1) the district court erred in not requiring the government to show that the presentence report’s description of the prior New York conviction was based on a sufficiently reliable source to establish the accuracy of that description, and thus the government could not have met its burden of establishing the existence of the prior conviction for sentencing enhancement purposes; 2) the court did not err in finding that a certified copy of the record from the Suffolk Superior Court was sufficiently reliable to support the fact of defendant’s Suffolk Superior Court conviction for sentencing enhancement purposes; 3) both of the defendant’s prior convictions, if proven, qualify as a predicate offenses under U.S.S.G. sec. 4B1.2; and 4) the court did not err in considering the two transactions as part of the same course of conduct for purposes of sentencing.

U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, July 06, 2009 Pilgrim v. Luther, No. 07-1950 In a prisoner civil rights action, district court’s grant of summary judgment for defendant is affirmed where: 1) plaintiff’s First Amendment retaliation claim fails as a matter of law as entreaties to activity such as petitions protesting prison conditions are not entitled to First Amendment protection where other less disruptive means of airing grievances are available; and 2) plaintiff’s claims that defendant violated his due process rights are without merit as any error on the part of the corrections officer assigned to assisting plaintiff was harmless in light of defendant’s owns failures.
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