Opinion ID: 766112
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Facts of the Underlying Offense

Text: 2 The facts that led to the prosecution in this case were established at trial and set forth clearly in the district court's opinion, Smalls v. Batista, 6 F.Supp.2d 211, 214-15 (S.D.N.Y. 1998); only a few facts will be repeated here. 3 In the pre-dawn hours of November 23, 1986, 17 year old Lang Faulcon left a subway train at Jackson Avenue, the Bronx. Smalls and five other men, who had been watching Faulcon, got off the train and pursued him. When Faulcon started to run away, Smalls grabbed him, put him in a choke-hold and said, we want your coat, take your coat off. One of the men kicked Faulcon's hand and he released his coat. Faulcon's coat, watch, glasses and gloves were taken during the attack. 4 Later that morning, Faulcon reported the incident to the Transit Police, describing the sequence of events and the assailants. Faulcon maintained that even though the assault occurred early in the morning and the train was dimly lit, he was able to see the faces of his assailants. One week later, Faulcon was unable to identify the robbers in the Transit Police photograph book. After going through the book a second time he identified Smalls. Nearly three months later, Faulcon identified Smalls in a lineup at the 48th Precinct and Smalls was arrested.