People v. David
Opinion of the Court
—Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Richmond County (Leone, J.), rendered December 5, 1996, convicting him of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
The defendant’s contention that improper comments made by the prosecutor during summation constituted reversible error is unpreserved for appellate review inasmuch as no objec
The defendant’s contention that he is entitled to a new trial because of the trial court’s references in its charge to the defendant’s “guilt or innocence” is not preserved for appellate review (see, People v Henderson, 259 AD2d 495; People v Williams, 226 AD2d 406; People v Cahill, 220 AD2d 608). In any event, the defendant’s argument is without merit. The trial court properly instructed the jury in detail that the People had the burden of proving each and every element of . the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant is the person who committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the presumption of innocence only ceases if and when the jury determines that the defendant’s guilt was established beyond a reasonable doubt (see, People v Cahill, supra, at 609; People v Actie, 215 AD2d 570; People v Medina, 178 AD2d 177). Although some of the court’s comments would have been better left unsaid, considered as a whole, the charge conveyed the proper standards (see, People v Henderson, supra; People v Coleman, 70 NY2d 817; People v Canty, 60 NY2d 830; People v Custodio, 243 AD2d 576; People v Cahill, supra; People v Actie, supra). Bracken, J. P., Friedmann, Goldstein and Smith, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.