Opinion ID: 2080614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: People v Bernard Pitts

Text: On October 15, 1994, a 14-year-old female was raped at the Rundel Library in Rochester by a male acquaintance. Two days later, the victim disclosed the rape to her mother, sought medical attention at an area hospital and reported the rape to the police. By the time doctors completed the rape kit, the victim had showered and cleaned herself. Pitts was arrested when the 14 year old saw him on the street and alerted her mother. Pitts originally entered a plea of guilty to a superior court information charging him with rape in the third degree. However, because the court determined that it could not comply with the promised sentence of 1 to 3 years, Pitts was allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. Pitts was subsequently indicted on the charges of rape in the first degree (Penal Law § 130.35 [1]) and rape in the third degree (Penal Law § 130.25 [2]) and proceeded to trial. At trial, the People did not introduce any forensic evidence of sexual intercourse. Defendant's expert witness testified that the victim's efforts to clean herself explained the absence of forensic evidence. On October 12, 1995, the jury convicted Pitts of one count of rape in the first degree and one count of rape in the third degree. At sentencing, the prosecutor referred to the original plea agreement and noted that Pitts does admit having sexual intercourse with the victim. The court then sentenced Pitts to concurrent prison terms of 81/3 to 25 years and 1 to 3 years. [1] On June 20, 2001, more than five years after his direct appeal was final, Pitts, while in prison, filed a pro se motion pursuant to CPL 440.30 (1-a) seeking an order directing the performance of forensic DNA testing on certain evidence. In particular, he requested DNA testing of vaginal swabs, oral swabs, the victim's underpants, all fibers and debris retrieved from clothing, hairs, and any other material tested by the Monroe County Public Safety Laboratory. Pitts argued that DNA material was collected in connection with his prosecution, and that a more favorable verdict would have resulted if evidence that DNA material did not come from him had been introduced at trial. The People responded that Pitts did not establish that the material he wanted contained DNA. [2] The People also argued that Pitts' application was untimely and should be dismissed on that ground. On August 27, 2001, Monroe County Court denied Pitts' motion without a hearing, finding that he did not exercise the requisite due diligence in making the application more than five years after his direct appeals were exhausted and almost three years after a previous CPL article 440 motion. Further, the court ruled that defendant failed to show that any of the items sought to be tested contained DNA. Because the jury was informed that no forensic evidence linked Pitts to the crime, the court found that even had DNA evidence been recovered in connection with the trial, there was no reasonable probability that the verdict would have been more favorable to defendant. On June 14, 2004, the Appellate Division affirmed for reasons stated in decision at Monroe County Court ( People v Pitts, 8 AD3d 1122 [4th Dept 2004]). A Judge of this Court granted the defendant leave to appeal. We now affirm because no reasonable probability exists that the verdict would have been more favorable to Pitts had the results of DNA testing been introduced at trial.