People v. Almanzar

*687The defendant contends that the Supreme Court erred in refusing to charge the jury on the affirmative defense to bail jumping under Penal Law § 215.59. We agree. As a general matter, “a court must charge the jury on any claimed defense that is supported by a reasonable view of the evidence which the court must assess in the light most favorable to the defendant” {People v Taylor, 80 NY2d 1, 12 [1992]). The defendant bears the burden at trial of establishing the affirmative defense to bail jumping by a preponderance of the evidence {see Penal Law § 25.00 [2]). Here, viewing the evidence in the…