PLAINTIFF WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH MURDER IN 2002 AND ACQUITTED IN 2006, CHALLENGES TO THE PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST AND THE PROPRIETY OF THE PROSECUTION DEEMED SPECULATIVE, DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT PROPERLY GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Tom, over a two-justice dissenting opinion, determined defendants’ motion for summary judgment was properly granted. The opinion is fact-specific and cannot be fairly summarized here. Plaintiff was arrested and charged with murder in 2002 and was acquitted in 2006:

Certain facts pertinent to the shooting are undisputed. For the subsequent civil action, plaintiff’s strategy has focused on disputing the identification of him as the shooter. The record, including numerous police reports and statements by witnesses, reflects that the shooting outside of a well attended social event caused significant confusion as witnesses were alerted from various vantage points while many attendees remained inside. Some participants in a physical confrontation preceding the shooting apparently had not been invited and likely were unknown by attendees. Nevertheless, plaintiff’s various attempts to dispute his identification as well as disparage the credibility of police and identification witnesses do not withstand a close analysis with respect to establishing the requisite elements of the civil claims. When the speculative challenges to probable cause and the propriety of the prosecution are cleared away, we are left with a record of the criminal investigation and prosecution that is factually compelling, warranting dismissal of the civil claims relevant to this appeal. Roberts v City of New York, 2019 NY Slip Op 02177, First Dept 3-21-19