Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Leon West, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1984-05-03
Citations: 62 N.Y.2d 708
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Leon West, Appellant.
Judges: Chief Judge Cooke and Judges Jasen, Jones, Wacht-ler, Meyer, Simons and Kaye concur.
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 62
Pages: 708–711

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Leon West, Appellant.
Argued March 27, 1984;
decided May 3, 1984
APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL
Douglas P. Rutnik, Public Defender {Joseph Cannizzearo and Shawn D. Flaherty of counsel), for appellant.
Sol Greenberg, District Attorney (George H. Barber of for respondent.

Opinion:
OPINION OF THE COURT
Memorandum.
The order of the Appellate Division should be reversed and the matter remitted for a new trial for the reasons stated in the dissenting opinion (92 AD2d 620, 622) of Presiding Justice A. Franklin Mahoney at the Appellate Division (see, also, People v Ventimiglia, 52 NY2d 350, 361-362). We also note our agreement with the majority's conclusion that the codefendant, who had pleaded guilty to a lesser offense prior to testifying against the defendant at the trial, was an accomplice as a matter of law. Thus the trial court erred in refusing to charge the jury to this effect when requested to do so by the defendant.
We have considered the defendant's other contentions and find them to be without merit.
Chief Judge Cooke and Judges Jasen, Jones, Wacht-ler, Meyer, Simons and Kaye concur.
Order reversed and case remitted to Albany County Court for a new trial in a memorandum.