Case ID: ad2d_153/html/0757-01.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 John Durant, Appellant.
   Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Lombardo, J.), rendered December 16, 1986, convicting him of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered. The facts have been considered and determined to have been established.

Reversal is required by the trial court’s submission, over the defendant’s objection, of a verdict sheet which included allegations mirroring the language of the indictment with respect to each crime charged (see, CPL 310.20 [2]; People v Nimmons, 72 NY2d 830; People v Pugh, 150 AD2d 734; People v McKenzie, 148 AD2d 472; cf., People v Moore, 71 NY2d 684).

Upon retrial separate trials should be granted to the defendant and codefendant to avoid a violation of the holding of Cruz v New York (481 US 186).

In light of our determination we do not reach the defendant’s remaining contentions. Kooper, J. P., Spatt, Harwood and Rosenblatt, JJ., concur.