Brief filed: 04/23/2015
Documents
People v. Basile
New York Court of Appeals; Case No. 2015-534
Prior Decision
Case below 970 N.Y.S.2d 658 (Queens Criminal Index No. 2007QN068755).
Argument(s)
Conviction under § 353 requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted with a culpable state of mind. Section 353 must be construed to require mental culpability. There is no indication of clear legislative intent to make § 353 a strict liability offense. Current legislative initiatives reflect a consensus that § 353 has a mens rea requirement. The appellate term’s reliance on A.M.L. § 43 is misplaced because § 353 is not a public welfare and regulatory law. The trial court’s failure to provide a proper jury instruction was not harmless error and warrants reversal of Mr. Basile’s conviction.
Author(s)
Mark D. Harris, Chantel L. Febus, Matthew v. Rotbart, Edqard J. Canter, Proskauer Rose LLP, New York, NY; Richard D. Willstatter, Green & Willstatter, White Plains, NY.
