Opinion ID: 2051223
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: People v Franco

Text: On December 26, 1991, a Grand Jury voted a true bill and indicted defendant on one count of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25 [2]), two counts of assault in the first degree (Penal Law § 120.10 [3]), two counts of assault in the second degree (Penal Law § 120.05 [4]) and one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (Penal Law § 265.01 [2]). The People presented evidence tending to demonstrate that defendant killed a man and slashed a woman with a dagger when a quarrel ensued outside of the premises where these individuals had attended a holiday party. Except for one count charging assault in the first degree, the indictment, which was filed on January 15, 1992, survived a motion to dismiss for legal insufficiency. On October 9, 1992, the People advised defendant that they had garnered evidence to support an additional charge of intentional murder (Penal Law § 125.25 [1]), and re-presented seven of the original eight witnesses to a second Grand Jury. The one witness who was unavailable would have provided testimony favorable to defendant. In contrast to his decision to remain silent during the first Grand Jury proceeding, defendant testified in his own behalf before the second Grand Jury stating that he acted in self-defense. The People then instructed the second Grand Jury on all the counts previously submitted to the first Grand Jury but not on murder in the second degree, the crime for which re-presentment to the second Grand Jury was undertaken. The second Grand Jury returned a no true bill as to all charges. Defendant moved to dismiss the indictment pursuant to CPL 210.20 (1) (h). Supreme Court granted the motion, finding that the District Attorney forfeited the otherwise legally valid indictment. [A] legal impediment, within the meaning of CPL 210.20 (1) (h), stands in the way of any possible conviction of the defendant for any of the charges    remaining under the first indictment ( People v Franco , 160 Misc 2d 114, 119). The Appellate Division affirmed ( see , People v Franco , 196 AD2d 357). A Judge of this Court granted the People leave to appeal. People v Alvarez By indictment filed October 28, 1991, defendant was charged with attempted murder in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 125.25 [1]), attempted rape in the first degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 130.35 [1]), assault in the first degree (Penal Law § 120.10 [3]), and assault in the second degree (Penal Law § 120.05 [6]) based on his attack on a 72-year-old woman while she was swimming in the ocean. Defendant did not testify before the Grand Jury that returned this indictment. Supreme Court denied defendant's omnibus motion to dismiss the charges of attempted murder and assault, ruling that there was sufficient evidence to support those charges, but granted dismissal of the attempted rape charge, with leave to the People to re-present to a second Grand Jury. In addition to the attempted rape charge and a new charge of reckless endangerment in the first degree (Penal Law § 120.25), the People re-presented the attempted murder and assault counts to a second Grand Jury. The victim told the second Grand Jury that she had been swimming naked at the time defendant attacked her, a statement at odds with her previous Grand Jury testimony that she was wearing a bathing suit when she was attacked. Defendant elected to testify before the second Grand Jury, where he denied any contact with the victim, asserting that he had been misidentified as the assailant. After instructing the second Grand Jury on all the counts previously voted by the first Grand Jury plus the reckless endangerment charge, the second Grand Jury returned a no true bill. Defendant thereafter moved to dismiss the indictment as defective or, in the alternative, on the grounds that an interest of justice dismissal was warranted. Supreme Court granted the motion, holding that the second Grand Jury's dismissal of all charges, including those contained in the original indictment, rendered the first indictment invalid as a matter of law ( see , People v Alvarez , 155 Misc 2d 413, 419). The Appellate Division affirmed ( see , People v Alvarez , 203 AD2d 372). A Judge of this Court granted the People leave to appeal. People v Jones On December 5, 1990, a Grand Jury indicted defendant for murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25 [3]), attempted robbery in the first degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 160.15 [2]), and attempted robbery in the second degree (Penal Law §§ 110.00, 160.10 [1]) in connection with the death of a 62-year-old man shot by cohorts of defendant after the man refused to pay defendant the $10 debt due from a sexual favor. Ten months later, the People re-presented the charges to a second Grand Jury with the additional count of burglary in the first degree (Penal Law § 140.30). The second Grand Jury voted a no true bill, and defendant subsequently moved to dismiss the indictment pursuant to CPL 210.20 and CPL 210.40. Unlike the Franco and Alvarez courts, here Supreme Court denied the motion, finding no statutory basis to dismiss an indictment voted by a legally constituted Grand Jury when a second Grand Jury declines to indict on the same charges. Defendant thereafter was tried by a jury on the indictment charging her with felony murder. The jury convicted defendant of second degree murder, and she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. On appeal, the Appellate Division, with two Justices dissenting, reversed and dismissed the indictment ( see , People v Jones , 206 AD2d 82). Justice Sullivan granted the People leave to appeal to this Court.