Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Larry Alston, Respondent
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1995-01-17
Citations: 211 A.D.2d 498
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Larry Alston, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 211
Pages: 498–498

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Larry Alston, Respondent.
[621 NYS2d 329]

Opinion:
Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Joseph Cerbone, J.), rendered September 25, 1992, convicting defendant, after jury trial, of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and sentencing him, as a second felony offender, to a term of 5 to 10 years, unanimously affirmed.
Defendant contends that the jury charge on reasonable doubt impermissibly shifted the burden of proof. The charge, viewed as a whole, conveyed the proper standard. The court's singular statement that the jurors "must be in a position to furnish their reason if asked to do so" by a fellow juror, did not impose an "affirmative obligation" on the jurors "to supply concrete reasons 'based upon the evidence' for [an] inclination to acquit" People v Antommarchi, 80 NY2d 247, 251, 252), "and in no way reduced the People's burden of proof' People v Johnson, 196 AD2d 765, lv denied 82 NY2d 926). Nor do we find error in the court's description of reasonable doubt as a doubt that would make a "reasonable person hesitate to act" (see, People v Quinones, 123 AD2d 793). Concur—Sullivan, J. P., Rosenberger, Nardelli and Williams, JJ.