People v. Ramsey
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
Although the prosecutor attempted to impermissibly shift the burden of proof during summation by asking the jury to weigh the Peopleās proof against a portion of the defendantās grand jury testimony that had been admitted (see People v Walters, 251 AD2d 433, 434 [1998]), the court immediately sustained defense counselās objection, and the curative instructions provided by the court alleviated any prejudice that may have resulted from the prosecutorās improper remark (see People v Williams, 14 AD3d 519 [2005]).
Moreover, while we agree that several other comments made by the prosecutor were improper, the errors were harmless (see People v Crimmins, 36 NY2d 230, 237 [1975]).
The defendantās contention that he was penalized for going to trial rather than accepting a plea offer is without merit. The sentencing minutes indicate that the court relied upon the appropriate factors in sentencing the defendant to a higher sentence than that which was offered during plea negotiations (see People v Pena, 50 NY2d 400, 411-412 [1980], cert denied 449 US 1087 [1981]; People v Evans, 16 AD3d 595, 596 [2005]). The fact that the defendantās sentence was greater than the one he would have received had he pleaded guilty does not establish his entitlement to a lesser sentence (see People v Hinton, 285 AD2d 476, 477 [2001]). Rivera, J.P., Lifson, Angiolillo and Balkin, JJ., concur.