Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Ralph Williams, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1997-09-18
Citations: 242 A.D.2d 469
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Ralph Williams, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 242
Pages: 469–469

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Ralph Williams, Appellant.
[662 NYS2d 118]

Opinion:
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Frederic Berman, J.), rendered October 31, 1995, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of two counts of robbery in the second degree, and sentencing him, as a persistent violent felony offender, to concurrent terms of 17 years to life, unanimously affirmed.
In light of the language difficulty displayed by the complainant, the trial court properly exercised its discretion in permitting the prosecutor to pose some leading questions, and also properly posed its own questions, in an effort to clarify the testimony (see, People v Moulton, 43 NY2d 944). Contrary to defendant's current arguments, none of the testimony elicited could reasonably have suggested a positive identification by the complainant.
The court's Sandoval ruling was an appropriate exercise of discretion. We perceive no abuse of discretion in sentencing.
Defendant's additional claims of error are unpreserved for review as a matter of law and we decline to review them in the interest of justice. Concur—Rosenberger, J. P., Wallach, Rubin, Tom and Collabella, JJ.