You are here: / / Procedure Used by Family Court in Custody-Modification Proceeding Did Not...

Procedure Used by Family Court in Custody-Modification Proceeding Did Not Meet the Criteria for a Fact-Finding Hearing

The Third Department determined the proceeding Family Court used in a custody-modification proceeding did not meet the criteria for the required fact-finding hearing:

Family Court erred in failing to conduct a fact-finding hearing. The final appearance was not a true hearing; the parties should have been “afforded a full and fair opportunity to be heard” … . While Family Court stated at the outset of the August 2013 appearance that the matter was set for a hearing that day, the court then allowed each party to deliver a long, unsworn narrative comprised mostly of hearsay — as the court had permitted the parties to do at each previous appearance. After the parties had discussed their views of the situation for an extended time, they were asked to swear to the statements they had made, following which the court rendered a determination without any opportunity for the parties to avail themselves of the usual attributes of a hearing, including the opportunity to present opening and closing statements, to present any other evidence or to conduct cross-examination (see id.). Thus, the court erred in modifying the prior order without holding a fact-finding hearing … . Matter of McCullough v Harris, 2014 NY Slip Op 04984, 3rd Dept 7-3-14

 

You might also like
Claimant, Who Worked Pursuant to a Consulting Agreement, Was Not an Employee
Claim for Psychological Injury Should Have Been Upheld—Retail Employee Was Directed to Submit False Reserve Orders for a Product to Deceive Manufacturer
WHEN DEFENDANT TOLD THE COURT AT HIS FIRST TWO APPEARANCES THAT HE WISHED TO TESTIFY AT THE GRAND JURY, THE COURT SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT DEFENDANT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REPRESENT HIMSELF AND CONDUCTED A SEARCHING INQUIRY TO MAKE SURE DEFENDANT UNDERSTOOD THE RISKS (THIRD DEPT).
A JAIL PHONE CALL IN WHICH DEFENDANT SAID HE MIGHT PLEAD GUILTY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED BECAUSE ITS PREJUDICIAL EFFECT OUTWEIGHED ANY PROBATIVE VALUE; THE PROSECUTOR’S SUMMATION REFERENCE TO THE PORTION OF THE PHONE CALL IN WHICH DEFENDANT SAID HE NEEDED A “PAID LAWYER” WAS AN IMPROPER USE OF THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL AGAINST THE DEFENDANT; NEW TRIAL ORDERED (THIRD DEPT).
Penalty of Reasonable Attorney’s Fees Properly Assessed Against Claimant’s Attorney for Making Baseless Requests for a Change of Venue
PLAINTIFF WAS NOT ALTERING OR ERECTING A STRUCTURE WITHIN THE MEANING OF LABOR LAW 240 (1), DEFENDANT PROPERTY OWNER DID NOT EXERCISE SUPERVISORY CONTROL OVER THE METHOD OR MANNER OF PLAINTIFF’S WORK, PLAINTIFF’S LABOR LAW 240 (1) AND 200 CAUSES OF ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED (THIRD DEPT).
APPELLATE COURT EXERCISED ITS POWER TO REDUCE A SENTENCE EVEN THOUGH THE SENTENCING COURT DID NOT ABUSE ITS DISCRETION, NOTING EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES (THIRD DEPT).
PETITIONER MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AFFORDED HIS RIGHT TO BE PRESENT WHEN THE UNAUTHORIZED MEDICATION WAS FOUND IN HIS CELL, DETERMINATION ANNULLED (THIRD DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

Flawed Appraisals Would Not Allow a Determination of the Highest and Best Use... Former Assistant Principal Entitled to Full Report Generated In Response to...