People v. O'Kane

The People contend that County Court erred in holding Dennis O'Kane's trial counsel was ineffective for consenting to verdict sheet annotations beyond those automatically permitted by CPL 310.20. Here, counsel's consent to the annotations did not deprive Mr. O'Kane of meaningful representation.

Based on Mr. O'Kane's escalating course of harassing conduct against his landlord, which continued even after she evicted him, City Court and Family Court entered serial no-contact orders of protection on the landlord's behalf. Mr. O'Kane repeatedly violated those orders. Eventually, the People charged…