You are here: / / Son of Sam Law Required Murderer’s Police Pension Be Paid to Daughter...
, ,

Son of Sam Law Required Murderer’s Police Pension Be Paid to Daughter and Estate of the Murder Victim

The Second Department determined that the “Son of Sam Law” required that the pension to which a convicted murderer was entitled be paid to the estate of the murder victim.  The plaintiff is the daughter of the murder victim.  The murderer is plaintiff’s father. The father fraudulently transferred his pension rights to his second wife.  Plaintiff, individually and as the administrator of her mother’s estate, procured a wrongful death judgment against her father. The court affirmed Supreme Court’s ruling that the transfer of the pension to the father’s second wife was fraudulent under Florida law (where the transfer was made) and the “Son of Sam Law” trumped the Retirement and Social Security Law such that the father’s pension was payable to the plaintiff:

“Under the full faith and credit clause . . . , where collateral attack on the ground of fraud would be permitted in the courts of the foreign State in which the judgment had been rendered, our courts will entertain a similar challenge” … . Here, Florida law permits a collateral attack on the defendant’s transfer of his pension to [second wife] on the ground that it constituted a fraudulent transfer … . * * *

Next, we reject [the second wife’s] contention that the defendant’s pension is not subject to execution or attachment by virtue of section 110(2) of the Retirement and Social Security Law or under certain provisions of the Administrative Code of the City of New York (see Administrative Code of City of NY §§ 13-181, 13-212, 13-264). As [the second wife] correctly contends, section 110(2) of the Retirement and Social Security Law provides that the right of a person to a pension “[s]hall not be subject to execution, garnishment, attachment, or any other process whatsoever” (Retirement and Social Security Law § 110[2]). In 2001, however, the Legislature amended the Son of Sam law to subject the “[f]unds of a convicted person” to an action for damages by a crime victim, a crime victim’s representative, or certain other persons (L 2001, ch 62, § 1; see Executive Law § 632 a[1][a], [c], [d]; [3]). The phrase “funds of a convicted person” was broadly defined as “all funds and property received from any source” (Executive Law § 632 a[1][c] [emphasis added]).

We conclude, for the reasons stated by our colleagues in the Appellate Division, [3rd] Department [97 AD3d 235]…, that the defendant’s pension is subject to execution under the Son of Sam law. Both the clear statutory language and the legislative history of the 2001 amendments to the Son of Sam law evince the Legislature’s intent to permit crime victims to recover assets from convicted persons, including pensions, regardless of the source of the convicted person’s funds … . As the [3rd] Department concluded, a contrary holding would “directly thwart[ ] the Legislature’s stated intent of holding convicted criminals financially … . Kane v Galtiere, 2014 NY Slip Op 07476, 2nd Dept 11-5-14

 

You might also like
FRAUD IN THE INDUCEMENT CAUSE OF ACTION WAS NOT DUPLICATIVE OF THE BREACH OF CONTRACT CAUSE OF ACTION; MOTION TO DISMISS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).
WIFE NOT ENTITLED TO INTEREST ON A LATE LUMP SUM PAYMENT, HUSBAND NOT ENTITLED TO RECOUP OVERPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE (SECOND DEPT).
Fraud Sufficiently Pled; Six-Year Statute of Limitations Applied
PLAINTIFF DID NOT RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT THE GAS COMPANY’S LIABILITY FOR A GAS EXPLOSION TRIGGERED BY A TREE UPROOTED DURING A HURRICANE, GAS COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).
Zoning Change Prohibiting Subdivision Was Foreseeable, Developer Not Entitled to Rescind Contract for Land Purchase
DEFAMATION ACTION AGAINST UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED UNDER THE MARTIN RULE, DEFAMATION ACTION AGAINST INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, BREACH OF CONTRACT ACTION AGAINST THE ASSOCIATION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT).
Bicyclist’s Negligence as a Matter of Law Did Not Warrant Summary Judgment to Defendant (Bus Driver, etc.)/There Can Be More than One Proximate Cause of an Accident
DEFENDANT NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN HIS REQUEST TO WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA, DEFENSE COUNSEL INDICATED THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE WITHDRAWAL, MATTER REMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE REQUEST WITH NEW COUNSEL (SECOND 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 © 2025 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

Purchase of Property Encumbered by an Unsatisfied Mortgage Gave Rise to Negligence,... Presumption Vehicle Was Operated with Owner’s Consent Not Overcome—Defendant...