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PEOPLE v. DEFINA

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department.
Dec 28, 1998
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Ordered that the order is affirmed.

The defendant argues that the People's failure to turn over message number 5 on a "Sprint Tape", was a violation of People v. Rosario ( 9 N.Y.2d 286, cert denied 368 U.S. 866), since the message contained statements made by prosecution witnesses. Contrary to the defendant's contention, to the extent that message number 5 contained a statement by a prosecution witness relaying information told to him by an anonymous person, it did not constitute Rosario material. The right to inspect statements of a prosecution witness is limited to those statements relevant to the subject matter of the witness's' testimony ( see, People v. Rios, 182 A.D.2d 843; see also, People v. Poole, 48 N.Y.2d 144, 148-149). As no testimony concerning the anonymous person was elicited during, the direct examination of the prosecution witnesses, the People were not obligated to make that portion of message number 5 available to the defendant ( see, People v. Rios, supra; People v. Bailey, 200 A.D.2d 677; People v. Melendez, 178 A.D.2d 366; People v. Goldman, 175 A.D.2d 723; cf., People v. Perez, 65 N.Y.2d 154).

The defendant's remaining contentions are without merit or, to the extent that they relate to any actual error, do not warrant reversal.

Bracken, J. P., Copertino, Thompson and McGinity, JJ., concur.