People v. Valdivia

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Michael R. Ambrecht, J.), rendered April 22, 2008, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, and sentencing him, as a second felony drug offender, to a term of six years, unanimously affirmed.

The court properly denied defendant’s challenge for cause to a prospective juror who volunteered that two friends had died from the use of drugs, as a result of which she had “issues” with serving on a drug case. Upon defense counsel’s inquiry whether she could follow the court’s instructions,…