People v. Ayala

— Appeal by the defendant from a judgment of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Greenberg, J.), rendered February 9, 1984, convicting him of robbery in the second degree (two counts), and assault in the second degree, upon a jury verdict, and imposing sentence.

Judgment reversed, on the law, and a new trial ordered.

The trial court erred in striking the defense character *791witness’s testimony. The rule regarding reputation evidence is that "a reputation at any time after a charge published, or other controversy begun, is not admissible” (5 Wigmore, Evidence § 1618 [Chadbourn rev 1974]). The trial…