Matter of Guzman v Spota
2013 NY Slip Op 04803 [107 AD3d 991]
June 26, 2013
Appellate Division, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
As corrected through Wednesday, July 31, 2013


In the Matter of Joel Guzman, Petitioner,
v
Thomas J. Spota et al., Respondents.

[*1] Christopher J. Cassar, P.C., Huntington, N.Y., for petitioner.

Thomas J. Spota, District Attorney, Riverhead, N.Y. (Grazia DiVincenzo of counsel), respondent pro se.

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 in the nature of prohibition to prohibit the respondents from proceeding with an underlying criminal prosecution entitled People v Guzman, pending in the Supreme Court, Suffolk County, under indictment No. 3152C-10, on the ground, inter alia, of lack of geographic jurisdiction.

Adjudged that the petition is denied and the proceeding is dismissed on the merits, without costs or disbursements.

Although a CPLR article 78 proceeding in the nature of prohibition is a proper means of challenging venue in a criminal action (see Matter of Steingut v Gold, 42 NY2d 311, 315 [1977]), prohibition lies only where there is a clear legal right to that relief (see id.). Here, the petitioner has failed to demonstrate a clear legal right to prohibition (see Matter of Prospect v Doyle, 44 AD3d 863, 863 [2007]; cf. Matter of Sharkey v Town of Southold Justice Ct., 71 AD3d 1030, 1030 [2010]). Balkin, J.P., Hall, Lott and Sgroi, JJ., concur.