People v. Almonte

—Judgment unanimously affirmed. Memorandum: Defendant appeals from a judgment convicting him of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. The conviction arose out of an incident that occurred on May 12, 1989, when defendant’s car ran into the rear of a truck on Route 81. Following the accident, which disabled his car, defendant discarded four packages subsequently found to contain 35.81 ounces of cocaine. Defendant contends that he was deprived of effective assistance of counsel; that he was improperly tried in absentia; and that the evidence is insufficient to…