Cohens v. Hess

—Judgment affirmed without costs. Memorandum: During the trial of this motor vehicle accident case, Supreme Court properly refused to permit cross-examination of defendant concerning a vacated plea of guilty to a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1110 (a), failure to obey a traffic control device, relying on People v Spitaleri (9 NY2d 168). The broad and forceful language of that decision, that “ ‘[t]he effect of the court’s order permitting the withdrawal was to adjudge that the plea of guilty be held for naught’ ” (People v Spitaleri, supra, at 172, quoting Kercheval v United States,…