Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Yadullah Muhammad, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2005-04-07
Citations: 17 A.D.3d 139
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Yadullah Muhammad, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 17
Pages: 139–139

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Yadullah Muhammad, Appellant.
[791 NYS2d 828]

Opinion:
Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (David Stadtmauer, J.), rendered August 5, 2002, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of robbery in the second degree, and sentencing him to a term of four years, unanimously affirmed.
The introduction of a nontestifying codefendant's plea allocution violated Crawford v Washington (541 US 36 [2004]). This evidence was clearly received for its truth with regard to the issue of whether or not a robbery occurred, and the record fails to support the People's arguments in favor of its admissibility. However, the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt (see e.g. People v Hopkins, 13 AD3d 303 [2004]). Without reference to the inadmissible plea allocution, there was overwhelming evidence compelling the conclusion that the incident in question was a robbery, and not an altercation as claimed by defendant. Concur—Tom, J.E, Andrias, Sullivan, Nardelli and Williams, JJ.