The People of the State of New York, Respondent v. Jose Rodriguez, Appellant

Summary

The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, holding that the juror's failure to disclose a remote friendship with an assistant district attorney did not constitute prejudice sufficient to set aside the verdict under CPL 330.30, and that the prosecutor's improper character reference was harmless error. The Court also declined to create a constitutional rule mandating automatic reversal for undisclosed juror information, emphasizing the existing statutory framework.