THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE DEFENDANT SHARED THE ATTACKERS’ INTENT TO ROB THE VICTIM; DEFENDANT’S ROBBERY CONVICTIONS UNDER AN ACCOMPLICE-LIABILITY THEORY REVERSED (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing defendant’s robbery convictions, determined the evidence defendant shared the attackers’ intent to rob the victim was legally insufficient. Defendant had set up a drug purchase from the victim. When the victim arrived, he was attacked and robbed by four masked men. Although the victim testified defendant was one of the masked men, there was strong evidence to the contrary:

The People … did not have any direct evidence demonstrating that defendant knew of or shared an intent to forcibly steal property from the victim … . Indeed, there was no evidence that defendant had prior knowledge of a plan to rob the victim … . People v Smith, 2022 NY Slip Op 03547, Third Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: Although the defendant sent the victim to the address where the victim was to sell marijuana to a buyer, there was no evidence defendant was aware the buyer intended to attack and rob the victim. Therefore, there was no evidence defendant shared the robbers’ intent and his robbery convictions under an accomplice-liability theory were reversed.