You are here: / / DEFENSE COUNSEL VOUCHED FOR THE CREDIBILITY OF THE VICTIM, DID NOT OBJECT...
, , ,

DEFENSE COUNSEL VOUCHED FOR THE CREDIBILITY OF THE VICTIM, DID NOT OBJECT WHEN THE PROSECUTOR VOUCHED FOR THE CREDIBILITY OF THE VICTIM, AND ALLOWED EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S PRIOR CRIMES TO COME IN DESPITE A SANDOVAL RULING KEEPING IT OUT; NEW TRIAL ORDERED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing defendant’s conviction in this sex-offense case and ordering a new trial, determined defense counsel did not provide effective assistance. Defense counsel vouched for the credibility of the victim and allowed evidence of defendant’s prior crimes to come in, despite a Sandoval ruling keeping it out:

… [D]uring counsel’s opening statement, he commented that, in his training representing victims of sexual assault, “the first thing I had to do was believe the accuser. I didn’t have a problem with that. I mean, why would someone make up an important detail or leave out certain details and accuse someone of a crime like rape?” Not only did counsel seemingly vouch for the victim’s credibility in this first opportunity to address the jury, but he also did the same in his summation, again reminding the jury that he had represented victims of sexual assault, stating that he “start[s] by believing it. I don’t sense any ill will from [the victim]” and that he knew “a verdict of not guilty in this case is not going to make anyone happy.” … . * * *

… [D]efense counsel elicited testimony that defendant had been in and out of jail for 10 years, was a regular drug user, had sold cocaine before and was a parolee who was violating parole conditions by being out past curfew as well as consuming alcohol and cocaine … on the night of the incident. Thereafter, when defendant chose to testify as to his version of events, County Court determined that since defense counsel had questioned the friend regarding defendant having been on parole at the time of the incident and in and out of prison for 10 years, the door had been opened for the People to pursue those lines of questioning with defendant on cross-examination. * * *

Compounding these errors, during the People’s summation, the prosecutor repeatedly improperly vouched for the victim’s credibility … , without objection from defense counsel, one time going so far as to say that the victim “testified credibly, consistently, believably and authentically.” Defense counsel’s failure to object to this repeated vouching is even more problematic given his own insinuations that the victim, as a sexual assault victim, should be believed. People v Monk, 2025 NY Slip Op 01976, Third Dept 4-3-25

Practice Point: It is difficult to think of a defense trial strategy that would include vouching for the credibility of the victim in a sex offense case. It is difficult to think of a defense trial strategy that would include allowing evidence of defendant’s prior crimes, which was the subject of a Sandoval ruling keeping it out, to come in. A trial, first and foremost, is an adversarial proceeding.

 

You might also like
ABSENT A FINDING OF PERMANENT PARTIAL DISABILITY, CLAIMANT NEED NOT SHOW ATTACHMENT TO THE LABOR MARKET AND IS ENTITLED TO RELY ON HER CHIROPRACTOR’S OPINION SHE IS TEMPORARILY TOTALLY DISABLED (THIRD DEPT).
THE FACT THAT THE LADDER SLID OR SHIFTED AND FELL WARRANTED SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION; PLAINTIFF DID NOT NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THE LADDER WAS DEFECTIVE (THIRD DEPT).
THE EVIDENCE DID NOT SUPPORT THE GROUND FOR SUPPRESSION OF A SHOTGUN AND SHOTGUN SHELL RELIED ON BY COUNTY COURT; ALTHOUGH THE PEOPLE RAISED OTHER GROUNDS FOR JUSTIFICATION OF THE SEARCH AND SEIZURE, THOSE GROUNDS CANNOT BE ADDRESSED ON APPEAL BECAUSE COUNTY COURT DID NOT RULE ON THEM; MATTER REMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE PEOPLE’S OTHER ARGUMENTS (THIRD DEPT).
DEFENSE COUNSEL’S FAILURE TO OBJECT TO PROSECUTOR’S REFERENCES TO STRICKEN TESTIMONY CONSTITUTED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE REQUIRING REVERSAL.
Substantial Evidence Supported Finding that Allowing a Child to Wander Away Near a Four-Lane Highway Constituted Maltreatment
Court Should Not Have Summarily Determined Declaratory Judgment Action In Absence of a Request to Do So/The Mootness Doctrine Precluded Court Rulings on an Expired Contract/The Open Meetings Law Was Violated by the Town
Assignment of New Counsel and Adjournment of Trial Over Defendant’s Objection Was Proper—Defense Counsel Had Represented the Confidential Informant in the Past—District Attorney Objected to Preclusion of Confidential Informant’s Testimony as a Solution
DEFENSE OPENED THE DOOR TO ALLOW EVIDENCE OF OTHERWISE INADMISSIBLE TESTIMONIAL HEARSAY STATEMENTS MADE TO A POLICE INVESTIGATOR

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

ALTHOUGH THE ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED IN A DIRECT APPEAL, AND DESPITE DEFENDANT’S... DEFENSE COUNSEL ALLOWED EVIDENCE PRECLUDED BY A SANDOVAL RULING TO COME IN,...