People v. Thomas

—Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Robert Straus, J.), rendered July 11, 1994, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of robbery in the first degree, and sentencing him to a term of 2 to 6 years, unanimously affirmed.

Prior to voir dire, and prior to informing the jury panel of the nature of the case, the court conducted unrecorded sidebars, in defendant’s absence, concerning matters that might lead to pre-voir dire disqualification, for which defendant’s presence was not required (People v Velasco, 77 NY2d 469, 473). While it appears that some of the prospective jurors volunteered…