People v. Westergard

OPINION OF THE COURT

Memorandum.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed.

Defendant, charged with burglaries of several Poughkeepsie businesses in the early morning of January 24, 1983, at trial contended that his chronic alcoholism and drug abuse constituted a disease or serious mental disorder short of insanity that relieved him of liability for those crimes. This defense was supported by his own testimony, as well as that of his *644brother and a psychologist. Defendant testified that in January 1983 he was an active alcoholic. On the evening in question, he had gone from bar to…