PEOPLE v. GONZALEZ (2026)

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

The PEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Jose GONZALEZ, Defendant–Appellant.

Ind. No. 680 /17

Decided: October 01, 2026

Moulton, J.P., Kennedy, Friedman, Michael, Hagler, JJ.

Jenay Nurse Guilford, Center for Appellate Litigation, New York (Carola M. Beeney of counsel), for appellant. Darcel D. Clark, District Attorney, Bronx (Rafael A. Curbelo of counsel), for respondent.

Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Martin Marcus, J.), rendered April 26, 2023, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of murder in the first degree, and sentencing him to a term of life without parole, unanimously affirmed.

The verdict was based on legally sufficient evidence and was not against the weight of the evidence (see People v. Danielson, 9 NY3d 342, 348–349 [2007]; see also People v. Baque, 43 NY3d 26 [2024] ). The jury's finding that defendant intended to commit murder was supported by a reasonable inference that he intended the natural consequences of his acts (see People v. Diaz, 202 AD3d 571, 572 [1st Dept 2022], lv denied 38 NY3d 1007 [2022]; see also People v. Getch, 50 N.Y.2d 456, 465 [1980] ). While there was evidence that defendant experienced a PCP-induced psychosis at the time of the offense, he engaged in purposeful actions that demonstrated his capacity to form an intent (see People v. McCray, 56 AD3d 359, 359 [1st Dept 2008], lv denied 12 NY3d 760 [2009].

We perceive no basis for reducing the sentence.

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