THE APPEAL WAS HELD IN ABEYANCE AND THE MATTER WAS SENT BACK FOR A RECONSTRUCTION HEARING ON WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL CONSENTED TO ANNOTATIONS ON THE VERDICT SHEET; THE RECONSTRUCTION HEARING WAS HELD BUT SUPREME COURT DID NOT MAKE A RULING; THE MATTER WAS REMITTED AGAIN FOR THE RULING (FOURTH DEPT).
The Fourth Department, holding the appeal in abeyance, had sent the matter back for a reconstruction hearing on whether defense counsel consented to annotations on the verdict sheet. The hearing was held but Supreme Court did not make a ruling. So the matter was remitted for that purpose:
We previously held this case, reserved decision, and remitted the matter to Supreme Court “to determine, following a hearing if necessary, whether defense counsel consented to the annotated verdict sheet” … . Upon remittal, the court convened a reconstruction hearing, heard testimony of the parties’ trial counsel, and closed the hearing without making any determination. That was error. The intent of our prior decision was for the court to make a determination, not merely to conduct a hearing … . It is of course better for the hearing court, which has the advantage of seeing the witnesses and hearing their testimony, to make the determination following a reconstruction hearing, particularly where, as here, witness credibility is at issue … . We therefore hold the case, reserve decision, and remit the matter to Supreme Court to determine whether defense counsel consented to the annotated verdict sheet … . People v Wilson, 2020 NY Slip Op 05385, Fourth Dept 10-2-20