People v. Bendell

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Baer, J.), rendered October 14,1983, convicting defendant, after jury trial, of bribery in the second degree and imposing a fine of $3,500, reversed, on the law, and remanded for a new trial.

In this short jury trial, the prosecutor improperly injected irrelevant and prejudicial matters, not in evidence, in both his examination of the witnesses and again in summation. The cumulative effect of this prejudicial conduct deprived the defendant of a fair trial on the charge of bribery in the second degree.

Police Officer Bills, who was the People’s sole…