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People v Taylor, 2019 NY Slip Op 04008 [172 AD3d 1251]

May 22, 2019

Appellate Division, Second Department

[*1]

The People of the State of New York, Respondent,

v

Antwan A. Taylor, Appellant.

Paul Skip Laisure, New York, NY (Sean Nuttall of counsel), for appellant.

John M. Ryan, Acting District Attorney, Kew Gardens, NY (John M. Castellano, Johnnette Traill, Ellen C. Abbot, and Aurora Alvarez-Calderon of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Robert Schwartz, J.), rendered December 2, 2016, convicting him of robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.

The defendant’s challenge to the legal sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions is unpreserved for appellate review ( see CPL 470.05 [1]). In any event, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution ( see People v Contes , 60 NY2d 620 [1983]), we find that it was legally sufficient to establish the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt ( see People v Danielson , 9 NY3d 342 , 349 [2007]). Moreover, in fulfilling our responsibility to conduct an independent review of the weight of the evidence ( see CPL 470.15 [5]; People v Danielson , 9 NY3d 342 [2007]), we are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not against the weight of the evidence ( see People v Romero , 7 NY3d 633 [2006]).

Contrary to the defendant’s contention, the Supreme Court’s Sandoval ruling ( see People v Sandoval , 34 NY2d 371 [1974]) reflects an appropriate balance between the probative value of the defendant’s prior youthful offender adjudications on the issue of his credibility and the risk of possible prejudice ( see People v Hayes , 97 NY2d 203, 208 [2002]; People v Duffy , 36 NY2d 258, 264 [1975]; People v Taylor , 18 AD3d 783 , 784 [2005]; People v Cowan , 193 AD2d 753, 754 [1993]).

The sentence imposed was not excessive ( see People v Suitte , 90 AD2d 80 [1982]). Balkin, J.P., Roman, Brathwaite Nelson and Christopher, JJ., concur..