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THE MAJORITY AFFIRMED DEFENDANT’S CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CONVICTION UNDER AN ACCOMPLICE THEORY; DEFENDANT ACCOMPANIED A FRIEND WHO WAS TO SELL COCAINE; TWO DISSENTERS ARGUED THE EVIDENCE OF SHARED INTENT WAS TOO WEAK TO SUPPORT THE CONVICTION (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, over a two-justice dissent, determined the evidence was sufficient to support defendant’s conviction of criminal possession of a controlled substance under an accomplice theory. Defendant agreed to go with her friend who was going to sell cocaine. The majority concluded the evidence defendant was going to be compensated proved shared intent. The two dissenters found the evidence defendant was to be compensated was too weak:

Here, the evidence and the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom establish that, two days before her arrest, defendant agreed that, in exchange for compensation, she would either drive or otherwise accompany the friend to complete a sale of cocaine. According to defendant’s testimony, the friend indicated that she wanted defendant to accompany her because they were friends and she did not want to be alone with the two people involved in the proposed drug transaction, i.e., the drug dealer and the ostensible buyer. * * *

From the dissent:

Here, the People’s theory at trial was that defendant intentionally aided her friend’s possession of drugs by agreeing to drive her friend to another city where the friend would engage in the sale of such drugs, and that defendant would return by bus. However, the evidence in this case, when considered in the light most favorable to the People …, established that defendant merely accompanied her friend. People v Lewis, 2022 NY Slip Op 04846, Fourth Dept 8-4-22

Practice Point: Here defendant accompanied a friend who was to sell cocaine, The majority held the evidence of shared intent, which included evidence defendant was to be compensated, proved shared intent. Two dissenters argued the evidence of shared intent was too weak to support the conviction.

 

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