Opinion ID: 556408
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State Prosecutions

Text: 8 The first trial of Gentile and Rydstrom on the criminal charges against them ended in a mistrial. In 1982, the state trial court dismissed the indictments because retrial was barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause. People v. Gentile, 114 Misc.2d 610, 452 N.Y.S.2d 507 (Suffolk Co.Ct.1982). More than a year later, the Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed this ruling and reinstated the indictments. People v. Gentile, 96 A.D.2d 950, 466 N.Y.S.2d 405 (2d Dept.1983). In April 1985, a jury found plaintiff Rydstrom guilty of assault and plaintiff Gentile guilty of robbery. It should be noted that the Assistant District Attorney who handled both the first and second trials, Timothy Mazzei, was a close friend of Officer Sisino and after the second trial met and eventually married Sisino's daughter. 9 In February 1987, the convictions were reversed and the indictment dismissed by the Appellate Division, Second Department, on the grounds that the evidence was insufficient in quality and quantity to justify the verdict. People v. Gentile, 127 A.D.2d 686, 687, 511 N.Y.S.2d 901 (2d Dept.1987). The court noted that the testimony of Officer Sisino regarding the alleged theft of his badge was sufficiently inconsistent with the evidence to raise a reasonable doubt as a matter of law as to the defendants' guilt of the crime of robbery. Id. at 688, 511 N.Y.S.2d 901. Since the count on which Rydstrom had been convicted was assault in the course of the commission of the robbery, the appellate court also reversed his conviction. Id. The court went on to say that it would have reversed the convictions even if the evidence had been sufficient because, among other reasons: 10 [W]e believe that, in view of the Assistant District Attorney's admittedly close personal relationship with the complainants (he became engaged to Sisino's daughter) and his confessed deep emotional involvement in the case, he should neither have tried this case nor been involved in its course. 11 Id. at 689, 511 N.Y.S.2d 901. 12 Following dismissal of the indictments, plaintiffs requested the County Police Commissioner and the County District Attorney to investigate defendant police officers for perjury and other related offenses. The Chief Law Assistant to the District Attorney refused this request, and Captain Hough of the Police Department responded that a thorough investigation of the incident had been conducted and revealed no foundation for plaintiffs' allegations.