People v. James

—Appeal by the *410defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (J. Goldberg, J.), rendered June 28, 1999, convicting him of murder in the second degree, assault in the third degree, and menacing in the second degree (two counts), upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered.

During the appellant’s trial, the prosecutor requested that a spectator, who had been seen conferring with defense counsel, be removed from the courtroom because he was intimidating the prosecution witnesses. Defense counsel objected…