Opinion ID: 2220735
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: People v Yancy

Text: On routine car patrol at the Lincoln Tunnel, a uniformed Port Authority officer stopped his vehicle in the midst of a traffic jam, turned on the car's flashing lights and proceeded to direct the gridlocked traffic. The driver of a white Nissan would not make eye contact with the officer, prompting the officer to approach the car in an attempt to tell the driver to clear the intersection. As the officer walked up to the driver's side of the car, passing the window alongside the back seat, he observed an open paper bag on the back seat containing vials the officer knew from his experience to be the sort used to package crack cocaine. He also saw an Alf doll on the back seat. The officer radioed for assistance, and directed defendant to pull over to the side as his car was impeding the flow of traffic. Once at the curb, defendant produced his license and registration, which listed different surnames. In response to the officer's query, defendant stated that he was coming from the deuce, a term the officer recognized as street slang for 42nd Street. Once his backup was in the vicinity, the officer ordered defendant and his companion out of the car. The officer asked defendant what was in the bag, and defendant replied bottles. Based on the officer's familiarity with the drug trade, he knew this term translated to vials used to package cocaine. Defendant and his companion then gave statements to the officer, and during the subsequent search of the car, the officer discovered separately packaged bags of empty vials and matching caps, and that the Alf doll contained cocaine and paper used to package cocaine. Following a suppression hearing, the Trial Judge found that the suspicions of this officer, who participated in hundreds of narcotics investigations near the tunnel within the last year alone, were justified by defendant's furtive behavior, the officer's observation of a large quantity of vials in open view, the time of day and location defendant said he was coming from, and defendant's description of the contents of the bag. The trial court found that there was probable cause for the officer to believe there was contraband in the car and that criminal activity was afoot. Therefore, the hearing court upheld the arrest, search of the vehicle, and seizure of the Alf doll. Defendant subsequently pleaded guilty and, under the terms of his plea bargain, was sentenced to 3 to 6 years for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance. Defendant moved to vacate the sentence, arguing that the procedures for predicate sentencing were not observed. On consent, the sentence was vacated. The prosecutor subsequently filed a predicate offender statement which listed a New Jersey robbery conviction. The New Jersey indictment did not indicate which of the three subsections of the statute defendant was convicted under and it was only through an examination of the superseded information that the sentencing court determined that defendant committed a crime that would constitute a felony in New York. Therefore, defendant was resentenced to the term originally promised. On appeal, the Appellate Division affirmed, holding that there was probable cause that defendant engaged in a criminal activity and that defendant was properly resentenced as a predicate felon ( see , People v Yancy , 201 AD2d 281). A Judge of this Court granted leave.