Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Appellant, v. Michael Caracciola, Respondent
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1991-10-10
Citations: 78 N.Y.2d 1021
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Appellant, v Michael Caracciola, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 78
Pages: 1021–1022

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Appellant, v Michael Caracciola, Respondent.
Argued September 6, 1991;
decided October 10, 1991
APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL
Robert M. Morgenthau, District Attorney (Alan Gadlin and Norman Barclay of counsel), for appellant.
Andrew M. Fallek for respondent.

Opinion:
OPINION OF THE COURT
Memorandum.
The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.
We agree with Supreme Court and the Appellate Division that the prosecutor's legal instructions were too confusing to have been understood by the Grand Jury in considering the charges, warranting dismissal of the indictment. While instructions to the Grand Jury need not be as precise as those given to a petit jury, they may not be so misleading or incomplete as to substantially undermine the integrity of the proceedings (see, People v Batashure, 75 NY2d 306, 311-312; People v Calbud, Inc., 49 NY2d 389, 396; see also, CPL 210.35 [5]). The guidance provided by the prosecutor was not sufficient for the Grand Jury to carry out its function (see, People v Valles, 62 NY2d 36, 38).
Chief Judge Wachtler and Judges Simons, Kaye, Alexander, Titone, Hancock, Jr., and Bellacosa concur.
Order affirmed in a memorandum.