You are here: / / Misrepresentations, Distortions, Attacks on the Court, Etc., Included in...

Misrepresentations, Distortions, Attacks on the Court, Etc., Included in Motion Papers Warranted Sanctions Against Attorney

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Andrias, with two concurring memoranda, over a full-fledged dissenting opinion by Justice Saxe, determined Supreme Court properly sanctioned one of the two attorneys who represented a 94-year-old woman in guardianship proceedings. Supreme Court’s sanctioning of a second attorney and denial of all attorney’s fees were reversed. The sanctions stemmed from motion papers which, Supreme Court found, included misrepresentations, omissions, distortions, and attacks on the court and others which were wholly without merit and made in bad faith. The court explained the applicable law:

Pursuant to 22 NYCRR 130-1.1(a) and (b), the court, “in its discretion,” may award costs, including attorney’s fees, as well as impose financial sanctions against an attorney or firm that engages in “frivolous conduct.” When determining whether the conduct undertaken was frivolous, the court must consider the circumstances under which the conduct took place and whether or not the conduct was continued when its lack of legal or factual basis was apparent or should have been apparent (22 NYCRR 130—1.1[c]). Furthermore, “[t]rial judges should be accorded wide latitude to determine the appropriate sanctions for dilatory and improper attorney conduct and we will defer to a trial court regarding sanctions determinations unless there is a clear abuse of discretion” … .

22 NYCRR 130-1.1(c) sets forth three categories of “frivolous conduct”: “(1) [conduct which] is completely without merit in law and cannot be supported by a reasonable argument for an extension, modification or reversal of existing law”; “(2) [conduct which] is undertaken primarily to delay or prolong the resolution of the litigation, or to harass or maliciously injure another”; or “(3) [conduct which] asserts material factual statements that are false.” “Conduct which violates any of the three subdivisions [of Section 130-1.1(c)] is grounds for the imposition of sanctions” … . Thus, sanctions and costs have been imposed for insulting behavior to opposing counsel, baseless ad hominem attacks against the court and opposing party, and mischaracterization of the record … .

Upon our review of the record, we hold that the court’s finding that the orders to show cause submitted in Motion Seq. Nos. 2 & 4 were based on material false statements, which constituted frivolous conduct within the meaning of 22 NYCRR § 130-1.1(c)(3) warranting the imposition of costs, including attorneys’ fees, and a monetary sanction, was not a clear abuse of discretion … . Matter of Kover, 2015 NY Slip Op 07802, 1st Dept 10-27-15

 

You might also like
To Demonstrate “Defamation by Implication” Where the Factual Statements Are Substantially True, It Must Be Shown the Communication as a Whole Imparts a Defamatory Inference and the Author Intended or Endorsed the Defamatory Inference
​Monetary Award to Compensate Fraud Victims Ordered by a Czech Court in a Criminal Fraud Prosecution Entitled to Enforcement in New York as a “Foreign Country Judgment”
SORA Amendments Did Not Render Statute Punitive—Ex Post Facto Clause Not Applicable​
QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE BUILDING MANAGEMENT COMPANY WAS LIABLE, PURSUANT TO ESPINAL FACTORS, FOR INFANT PLAINTIFF’S FALL INTO THE ELEVATOR SHAFT (FIRST DEPT).
“Sophisticated and Well-Counseled Entity” Did Not Make Prima Facie Claim of Fraud; No Due Diligence Demonstrated
PROPERTY OWNERS WERE AWARE THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT HAD BEEN HOSED DOWN BY RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES ON A COLD DAY; PLAINTIFF WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS ICY-SIDEWALK SLIP AND FALL CASE (FIRST DEPT).
FEDERAL RISK RETENTION GROUP (RRG) LAW PREEMPTS NEW YORK INSURANCE LAW’S TIMELY DISCLAIMER OF COVERAGE PROVISION, THEREFORE DEFENDANT FOREIGN RRG DID NOT NEED TO COMPLY WITH NEW YORK’S STATUTORY TIMELY DISCLAIMER REQUIREMENT (FIRST DEPT).
PLAINTIFF ALLEGED HE WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH A LADDER AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLIMB UP THE SIDE OF A BRIDGE FROM WHICH HE FELL, SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION PROPERLY GRANTED, COMPARATIVE FAULT IS NOT A DEFENSE (FIRST 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

Proper “Initial Aggressor” Jury Instruction Where Defendant Intervenes... The Court’s Failure to Respond to Jury Note Requesting Transcripts of...