WRONGFUL CONVICTION ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED, CONVICTION WAS NOT VACATED ON A GROUND ENUMERATED IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS ACT (FOURTH DEPT).
The Fourth Department determined claimant’s wrongful conviction action was properly dismissed because claimant’s judgment of conviction was not vacated on a ground enumerated in the Court of Claims Act:
… [T]he County Court Judge averred that he vacated claimant’s judgment pursuant to CPL 440.10 (1) (f) “and/or” CPL 440.10 (1) (h). More specifically, the County Court Judge determined that the People had committed a Rosario violation, which falls under CPL 440.10 (1) (f) (see People v Jackson, 78 NY2d 638, 645 [1991]), “and/or” a Brady violation, which falls under CPL 440.10 (1) (h) … . The transcript of the hearing at which the County Court Judge vacated the judgment fully corroborates his sworn account of his rationale for overturning claimant’s conviction, and the transcript likewise supports the County Court Judge’s averment that he effectively denied claimant’s CPL article 440 motion to the extent predicated on any provision of CPL 440.10 (1) other than paragraphs (f) or (h). Thus, because paragraphs (f) and (h) of CPL 440.10 (1) “are not enumerated in Court of Claims Act § 8-b (3) (b) (ii), the [court] properly dismissed the claim” … . …
It is possible, as claimant notes, that the facts underlying a successful Brady claim under CPL 440.10 (1) (h) could also give rise to a viable claim of newly discovered evidence under CPL 440.10 (1) (g). That, however, is irrelevant for purposes of Court of Claims Act § 8-b, which allows recovery only where the criminal court actually vacated the judgment on an enumerated ground, and not where the criminal court might have vacated the judgment on an enumerated ground, but did not do so … . Jeanty v State of New York,2019 NY Slip Op 06333, Fourth Dept 8-22-19
