Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Matthew R. Smith, Also Known as Kasiin Ali Bey, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2015-06-17
Citations: 129 A.D.3d 997
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Matthew R. Smith, Also Known as Kasiin Ali Bey, Appellant.
Judges: Rivera, J.P., Cohen, Hinds-Radix and Barros, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 129
Pages: 997–998

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Matthew R. Smith, Also Known as Kasiin Ali Bey, Appellant.
[10 NYS3d 447]

Opinion:
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Condon, J.), rendered February 8, 2013, convicting him of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, false personation, and failure to obey a traffic control device, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
Contrary to the defendant's contention, although the Supreme Court was unable to conduct a searching inquiry of the defendant with respect to the implications of self-representation, such an inability was due to the defendant's own conduct, and the record, as a whole, demonstrates that he made a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent decision, expressed through word and deed, to waive his right to counsel and to proceed pro se (see People v Lineberger, 98 NY2d 662 [2002]; People v Sloane, 262 AD2d 431 [1999]). Furthermore, the court did not improvidently exercise its discretion in failing, sua sponte, to order a competency examination (see CPL 730.30 [1]; People v Morgan, 87 NY2d 878, 879 [1995]; People v Pelaez, 100 AD3d 803, 804 [2012]; People v Simpson, 52 AD3d 846, 847 [2008]).
Rivera, J.P., Cohen, Hinds-Radix and Barros, JJ., concur.