“Strangulation” Conviction Affirmed

In a full-fledged opinion by Justice Garry, the Third Department affirmed defendant’s conviction for strangulation in the second degree (as well as assault in the third degree).  The victim of domestic abuse alleged the defendant choked her with one hand and shoved a piece of pizza in her face with the other.  The court explained the statutory strangulation offenses as follows:

In 2010, the Legislature enacted several criminal statutes to address choking, strangling, and other forms of intentional interference with a victim’s breathing or circulation (see Penal Law art 121; William C. Donnino, Practice Commentaries McKinney’s Cons Laws of NY, Book 39, Penal Law § 121.11, 2013 Pocket Part at 38).  At the time of enactment, the Legislature stated that domestic abusers use strangulation as “a form of power and control [that] has a devastating psychological effect on victims and a potentially fatal outcome” (Senate Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 2010, ch 405, 2010 McKinney’s Session Laws of NY at 1977) and noted that strangulation can be challenging to prosecute as it may not cause obvious injuries, thus allowing the crime to go unpunished (see Assembly Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 2010, ch 405).  In the statutory scheme, the severity of the offense is measured by the degree of the consequent harm.  A person commits the misdemeanor of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation when, “with intent to impede the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person, he or she a. applies pressure on the throat or neck of such person; or b. blocks the nose or mouth of such person,” with no resulting injury (Penal Law § 121.11).  Such acts resulting in “stupor, loss of consciousness for any period of time, or any other physical injury or impairment” constitute the felony of strangulation in the second degree (Penal Law § 121.12); strangulation in the first degree involves “serious physical injury” (Penal Law § 121.13).  People v Carte, 105808, 3rd Dept 12-5-13