Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Ben Ami Freier, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1996-06-10
Citations: 228 A.D.2d 520
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Ben Ami Freier, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 228
Pages: 520–520

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Ben Ami Freier, Appellant.
[644 NYS2d 306]

Opinion:
We find that the defendant did not receive the effective assistance of counsel and therefore the judgment must be reversed (see, People v Satterfield, 66 NY2d 796; People v Baldi, 54 NY2d 137).
Furthermore, the court's failure to give a limiting instruction concerning the defendant's prior arrest, coupled with the court's failure to instruct the jury that the testimony of a police officer is entitled to no greater weight than the testimony of an ordinary citizen, warrant reversal (see, People v Guzman, 146 AD2d 799). Balletta, J. P., Santucci, Krausman and Florio, JJ., concur.