People v. Williams

Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County, rendered April 21, 1977, convicting defendant of robbery in the first degree, and sentencing him to a term of 6 to 18 years, unanimously affirmed. Defendant raises several issues, only one of which warrants discussion. In his summation the prosecutor made a series of statements, which, defendant contends, demonstrated "a malicious intent to inflame and deceive the jury” by "portraying the case as a symbolic test of the court’s ability to function”: "In this one case, we’re truly testing whether or not the Court can really function and meet the needs…