People v. Butler

—Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Latella, J.), rendered December 6, 1999, convicting him of robbery in the second degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

*648Ordered that the judgment is reversed, on the law, and a new trial is ordered.

Where there is evidence that the state of mind of a prospective juror is likely to preclude him or her from rendering an impartial verdict (see, CPL 270.20 [1] [b]), the juror must state a personal, unequivocal assurance that he or she will be able…