The People of the State of New York v. John R. Robinson

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division, holding that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of an uncharged prior robbery to prove the defendant's identity because clear and convincing proof of the defendant's participation in that prior crime was lacking. The Court also affirmed the lower court's rulings that there was no purposeful exclusion of college students from the jury pool and that the search warrant was valid, while noting that certain items unrelated to the charged offense should be suppressed on retrial. Accordingly, a new trial was ordered.