People v. Williams

OPINION OF THE COURT

Gonzalez, J.

In this appeal by the People from Supreme Court’s dismissal of the indictment on the ground of legally insufficient evidence, we must decide whether the defendant’s failure to disclose the identity of a robber to the police immediately after witnessing the robbery, standing alone, constitutes “criminal assistance” under this State’s hindering prosecution statute (Penal Law § 205.50). Because we find that defendant’s failure to disclose to the police that the robber was her boyfriend constituted prima facie evidence of “deception” for the purpose of preventing…