Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Aziz Harden, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2004-05-06
Citations: 7 A.D.3d 286
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Aziz Harden, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 7
Pages: 286–286

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Aziz Harden, Appellant.
[776 NYS2d 54]

Opinion:
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Arlene Silver-man, J.), rendered January 28, 2003, 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 and fifth degrees, and sentencing him, as a second felony offender, to an aggregate term of 4½ to 9 years, unanimously affirmed.
The verdict was not against the weight of the evidence. Issues of credibility were properly considered by the jury and there is no basis for disturbing its determinations (see People v Gaimari, 176 NY 84, 94 [1903]).
The court's Sandoval ruling balanced the appropriate factors and was a proper exercise of discretion (see People v Hayes, 97 NY2d 203 [2002]; People v Walker, 83 NY2d 455, 458-459 [1994]; People v Pavao, 59 NY2d 282, 292 [1983]). Defendant's prior drug convictions were highly relevant to his credibility, and their probative value outweighed their prejudicial effect.
Defendant's contentions with respect to the prosecutor's summation are unpreserved and we decline to review them in the interest of justice. Were we to review these claims, we would find no basis for reversal (see People v Overlee, 236 AD2d 133 [1997], lv denied 91 NY2d 976 [1998]; People v D'Alessandro, 184 AD2d 114, 118-119 [1992], lv denied 81 NY2d 884 [1993]). Concur—Tom, J.P., Saxe, Lerner, Marlow and Gonzalez, JJ.