Case ID: ad2d_300/html/0598-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Darrell Devine, Appellant.
    [751 NYS2d 868]
   —Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Gary, J.), rendered May 3, 2001, convicting him of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered.

The Supreme Court erred in admitting testimony of prior criminal acts by the defendant on the People’s direct case pursuant to People v Molineux (168 NY 264) to prove an absence of mistake (see People v Heiss, 221 AD2d 562, 563; People v Jones, 201 AD2d 504, 505). Because the error was not harmless, a new trial is ordered.

In light of this determination, we need not reach the defendant’s remaining contention. Ritter, J.P., Goldstein, Crane and Mastro, JJ., concur.