People v. Knowlin

—Judgment unanimously affirmed. Memorandum: During jury selection in defendant’s trial on the charge of murder in the second degree, the court conducted a side-bar conference with a potential juror outside defendant’s presence. In People v Antommarchi (80 NY2d 247, 250, rearg denied 81 NY2d 759), the Court of Appeals held that the court may not conduct such side-bar conferences to "explore prospective jurors’ backgrounds and their ability to weigh the evidence objectively unless defendant is present”. Here, however, jury selection was conducted prior to the decision in Antommarchi and,…