Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. James J. O'Connor, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1931-11-17
Citations: 257 N.Y. 473
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. James J. O’Connor, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 257
Pages: 473–474

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. James J. O’Connor, Appellant.
(Argued September 30, 1931;
decided November 17, 1931.)
W. D. Smith and H. E. Blodgett for appellant.
There was no evidence to support the conviction. (People v. Defore, 242 N. Y. 13; People v. Shanley, 40 Hun, 477; Stearns v. Titus, 193 N. Y. 272; People v. Marendi, 213 N. Y. 600.)
Roy W. Peters, District Attorney («7. W: Collamer of counsel), for respondent.
Defendant was legally arrested. (People v. Webster, 75 Hun, 278.) The officer had a legal right to search defendant. (People v. Defore, 242 N. Y. 13.)

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
The conviction was for the crime of resisting an officer while " in the performance of his duty," under section 1825 of the Penal Law. The arrest of the prisoner was for the commission of a misdemeanor. This crime had not been committed in the presence of the arresting officer; nor did the officer hold a warrant for the arrest. Therefore, the arrest was illegally made; the officer had no right to search the prisoner; the prisoner did not resist an officer in the performance of any duty; and no crime was committed.
The judgments should be reversed and the information dismissed.
Cardozo, Ch. J., Pound, Crane, Lehman, Kellogg, O'Brien and Hubbs, JJ., concur.
Judgments reversed, etc.