Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Christopher Iorio, Appellant; The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Ralph De Pierro, True Name Ralph David De Pierro, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1939-06-27
Citations: 257 A.D. 1001
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Christopher Iorio, Appellant. The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Ralph De Pierro, True Name Ralph David De Pierro, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 257
Pages: 1001–1001

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Christopher Iorio, Appellant. The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Ralph De Pierro, True Name Ralph David De Pierro, Appellant.

Opinion:
— Judgments of the County Court of Queens county, convicting the defendants of the crime of robbery in the first degree, reversed on the law and new trial granted. The admission upon the joint trial of the defendants, over the repeated objection of each, of evidence relating to the claimed stolen watch and chain of the People's witness Kuzmin found in the possession of defendant Iorio, constituted substantial error so prejudicial to each defendant as to necessitate a new trial in each case. (People v. Molineux, 168 N. Y. 264; People v. De Garmo, 179 id. 130; People v. Campbell, 232 App. Div. 825.) If the evidence mentioned is viewed as being in support of the People's main case it is incompetent and prejudicial. (People v. Molineux, supra.) If it is considered to be contradictory of a denial made by Iorio it is in the same category, for it constituted matter collateral to the issue. (People v. De Garmo, supra.) Lazansky, P. J., Hagarty, Carswell, Taylor and Close, JJ., concur.