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PEOPLE v. CURETON

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department.
Jan 24, 2000
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DECISION ORDER

ORDERED that the judgment is modified, on the law, by vacating the convictions of assault in the second degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, vacating the sentence imposed thereon, and dismissing those counts of the indictment; as so modified, the judgment is affirmed.

The People correctly concede that the evidence was legally insufficient to establish "physical injury" (Penal Law ยง 10.00[9]). We thus vacate the conviction of assault in the second degree (see, Matter of Robert C., 185 A.D.2d 845 ; People v. Goins, 129 A.D.2d 733 ).

The defendant has not preserved for appellate review his contention that the evidence was legally insufficient to establish his guilt of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree beyond a reasonable doubt (see, CPL 470.05[2]; People v. Rodriguez, 200 A.D.2d 775 ;People v. Udzinski, 146 A.D.2d 245 ). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see,People v. Contes, 60 N.Y.2d 620 ), we find that it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15[5]).

The People also correctly concede that criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree is a lesser-included offense of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. We thus also vacate the conviction for that lesser-included offense (see, People v. Queen, 258 A.D.2d 480 ).

The hearing court's restriction of the defendant's cross-examination of one of the People's witnesses during a combined Mapp/Dunaway hearing was a provident exercise of discretion (see, Matter of Sheldon G., 234 A.D.2d 459, 460 ; People v. Ashner, 190 A.D.2d 238, 246 ).

The defendant's remaining contentions are unpreserved for appellate review and, in any event, without merit.

SULLIVAN, J.P., KRAUSMAN, McGINITY, and H. MILLER, JJ., concur.