Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Douglas Ferguson, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1997-10-14
Citations: 243 A.D.2d 577
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Douglas Ferguson, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 243
Pages: 577–577

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Douglas Ferguson, Appellant.
[665 NYS2d 512]

Opinion:
Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Flaherty, J.), rendered February 25, 1994, convicting him of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
Based upon the defendant's claim that the eyewitness produced by the prosecution was not credible, the defendant contends that the People did not disprove his defense of justification beyond a reasonable doubt. However, his contention is unpreserved for appellate review (see, People v Gray, 86 NY2d 10). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution (see, People v Contes, 60 NY2d 620), we find that it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Moreover, resolution of issues of credibility, as well as the weight to be accorded to the evidence presented, are primarily questions to be determined by the jury, which saw and heard the witnesses (see, People v Gaimari, 176 NY 84, 94). Its determination should be accorded great weight on appeal and should not be disturbed unless clearly unsupported by the record (see, People v Garafolo, 44 AD2d 86, 88). Upon the exercise of our factual review power, we are satisfied that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence (see, CPL 470.15 [5]). Rosenblatt, J. P., Copertino, Krausman and Goldstein, JJ., concur.