Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Eugene Merritt, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1999-04-29
Citations: 260 A.D.2d 319
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Eugene Merritt, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 260
Pages: 319–320

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Eugene Merritt, Appellant.
[689 NYS2d 84]

Opinion:
—Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Martin Rettinger, J.), rendered May 6, 1997, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, and sentencing him to concurrent terms of 5 to 10 years, unanimously affirmed.
The court properly exercised its discretion in denying defendant's requests for assignment of new counsel, made shortly before and during the Mapp hearing and trial, since defendant did not establish good cause for such substitution (see, People v Sides, 75 NY2d 822). Defendant's unjustified hostility toward, and refusal to communicate with, his counsel did not constitute good cause (People v Sawyer, 57 NY2d 12, 19, cert denied 459 US 1178; People v Medina, 44 NY2d 199, 208-209; People v Garcia, 250 AD2d 421, Iv denied 92 NY2d 897). Concur — Nardelli, J. P., Tom, Lerner, Mazzarelli and Friedman, JJ.