Opinion ID: 2525476
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: People v Jose Fernandez

Text: On February 24, 2007, while walking on Ludlow Street in Manhattan at approximately 12:30 A.M., defendant was stopped by Officer Daniel Hoffman, who observed defendant walking on the sidewalk with a knife clipped to his front right pants pocket, the top or head of the knife protruding in plain view. Before any questioning, Hoffman approached defendant, retrieved the knife from defendant's front pocket and asked defendant if he had any other weapons. Defendant stated that he had another knife in his left jacket pocket. When questioned why he was carrying the knife, defendant answered it was for his protection. After retrieving both knives, Hoffman opened them, confirming they were gravity knives. Defendant was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. He thereafter moved to suppress the two knives recovered from him and statements he made to the police officer. A suppression hearing was held at which Hoffman testified that he had been a police officer for four years and had made approximately 300 arrests involving gravity knives. In his career, he had examined around 200 gravity knives and described the difference between a gravity knife and other types of knives. He explained that gravity knives are often carried in such a way as to make them readily accessible. Hoffman testified that when he first saw the knife he believed it was a gravity knife because, based on his experience, this type of knife was typically carried with a clip on the outside of the pocket, and with the head of the knife usually sticking up outside of the pocket. Supreme Court denied the motion to suppress, finding that the officer had probable cause to recover the knife that he observed clipped to defendant's pocket. The court noted that the officer had concluded that the weapon was a gravity knife based on his experience, coupled with his observation of the clip and the head of the knife in plain view. The court also found that the officer lawfully reached into defendant's pocket to recover the second knife, once defendant stated that he had a second knife in his jacket pocket. The Appellate Division affirmed (60 AD3d 549 [1st Dept 2009]). A Judge of this Court granted both defendants leave to appeal (15 NY3d 747 [2010], 15 NY3d 749 [2010]). We now reverse in Brannon and affirm in Fernandez.