People v. Adams
The People of the State of New York v. Charles L. Adams
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him upon a jury verdict of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25 [1]) and criminal possession of a weapon in the
We reject defendant’s contention that the court abused its discretion in allowing the People to present the limited testimony of a witness who observed defendant the morning after the murder (see generally People v Odom, 53 AD3d 1084, 1087 [2008], lv denied 11 NY3d 792 [2008]). Further, defendant’s contention with respect to the allegedly improper comment of the prosecutor on summation concerning that testimony is not preserved for our review because defendant failed either to object to the court’s curative instruction following that comment or to request a mistrial, and thus “the curative instruction[ ] must be deemed to have corrected [any] error to the defendant’s satisfaction” (People v Heide, 84 NY2d 943, 944 [1994]). We decline to exercise our power to review defendant’s contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice (see CPL 470.15 [6] [a]). Defendant also failed to preserve for our review his further contention that the court erred in failing to charge the jury on the defense of temporary lawful possession of a weapon (see People v Lawrence, 28 AD3d 1123 [2006], lv denied 6 NY3d 896 [2006]). Contrary to defendant’s contention, he was not denied effective assistance of counsel based on defense counsel’s failure to request that charge, inasmuch as the conduct of defendant was inconsistent with his claim of temporary lawful possession (see People v Banks, 76 NY2d 799,