Case Name: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Darrell Devine, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2002-12-23
Citations: 300 A.D.2d 598
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Darrell Devine, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 300
Pages: 598–598

Head Matter:
The People of the State of New York, Respondent, v Darrell Devine, Appellant.
[751 NYS2d 868]

Opinion:
—Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Gary, J.), rendered May 3, 2001, convicting him of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.
Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered.
The Supreme Court erred in admitting testimony of prior criminal acts by the defendant on the People's direct case pursuant to People v Molineux (168 NY 264) to prove an absence of mistake (see People v Heiss, 221 AD2d 562, 563; People v Jones, 201 AD2d 504, 505). Because the error was not harmless, a new trial is ordered.
In light of this determination, we need not reach the defendant's remaining contention. Ritter, J.P., Goldstein, Crane and Mastro, JJ., concur.