People v. Candelaria
Opinion of the Court
Contrary to the defendant’s contention, the hearing court
The defendant failed to preserve for appellate review his contention that he was denied a fair trial by the prosecutor’s misconduct in eliciting testimony from the defendant which improperly bolstered the testimony of two prosecution witnesses (see CPL 470.05 [2]; People v West, 56 NY2d 662 [1982]; People v Rossi, 99 AD3d 947 [2012]). In any event, under the circumstances of this case, the isolated questions by the prosecutor were not so “pervasive or flagrant” as to deny the defendant a fair trial (People v Rossi, 99 AD3d at 951). Moreover, any error in the admission of the testimony was harmless, since the evidence of the defendant’s guilt, without reference to the testimony, was overwhelming and there was no significant probability that, but for the error, the jury would have acquitted the defendant (see People v Crimmins, 36 NY2d 230, 241-242 [1975]; People v Brody, 82 AD3d 784, 785 [2011]).
The defendant’s claim that he was deprived of the constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel is based, in part, on matter appearing on the record and, in part, on matter outside the record and, thus, constitutes a “ ‘mixed claim[ ]’ ” of ineffective assistance (People v Maxwell, 89 AD3d 1108, 1109 [2011], quoting People v Evans, 16 NY3d 571, 575 n 2 [2011], cert denied 565 US —, 132 S Ct 325 [2011]). It is not evident from the matter appearing on the record that the defendant was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel (cf. People v Crump, 53 NY2d 824 [1981]; People v Brown, 45 NY2d 852 [1978]). Since the defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance
The sentence imposed was not excessive (see People v Suitte, 90 AD2d 80 [1982]).
The defendant’s remaining contentions raised in his pro se supplemental brief either are unpreserved for appellate review and, in any event, without merit, or are based on matter dehors the record. Rivera, J.P., Dillon, Roman and Cohen, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.