Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. James Overton, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2009-10-29
Citations: 66 A.D.2d 604
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v James Overton, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 66
Pages: 604–605

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v James Overton, Appellant.
[888 NYS2d 477]

Opinion:
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (William A. Wetzel, J.), rendered November 26, 2007, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree (two counts), criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third and fifth degrees, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, and bail jumping, and sentencing him to an aggregate term of nine years for the drug and weapon convictions, consecutive to a term of 1 to 3 years for the bail jumping conviction, unanimously affirmed.
Since defendant objected on different grounds from those he raises on appeal, he has not preserved his present challenge to the introduction into evidence of a letter found on his person that contained instructions for completing a particular drug transaction, and we decline to review it in the interest of justice. As an alternative holding, we also reject it on the merits. The letter was not hearsay, since it was not received for the truth of its contents, but to demonstrate defendant's intent to sell the drugs he possessed. The letter was intended to convey instructions, not assertions of fact (see People v Mixon, 292 AD2d 177 [2002], lv denied 98 NY2d 678 [2002]).
The surcharges and fees were properly imposed (see People v Guerrero, 12 NY3d 45 [2009]).
We perceive no basis for reducing the sentence. Concur— Sweeney, J.P., Buckley, DeGrasse, Freedman and Abdus-Salaam, JJ.