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THE PROSECUTOR WHO ARGUED DEFENDANT’S APPEAL WAS A CLERK FOR THE TRIAL JUDGE; PRIOR DECISION AFFIRMING THE CONVICTION VACATED AND CASE REMITTED FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR (THIRD DEPT) ​

The Third Department, vacating its prior affirmance of defendant’s conviction, determined a special prosecutor should be appointed for the appeal because the appeal was handled by a prosecutor who had been the trial judge’s law clerk:

… [T]he Chief Assistant District Attorney (hereinafter ADA) who argued the appeal on behalf of the People was the confidential law clerk to the trial judge who presided over this matter and served in this capacity at the time of the underlying trial. … [D]efendant moved to vacate our prior determination and sought the appointment of a special prosecutor, arguing that the ADA had a conflict of interest under Rule 1.12 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (22 NYCRR 1200.0) disqualifying her from representing the People on appeal … . The ADA maintained that she did not have a conflict of interest because she was not “personally and substantially” involved in this matter as the trial judge’s law clerk, revealing that her involvement consisted of drafting County Court’s decision and order on defendant’s omnibus motion as well as the decision and order on the prosecutor’s motion for consolidation of the separate indictments filed against defendant and the codefendant … . We have determined that the ADA’s involvement in this matter as the trial judge’s law clerk was personal and substantial … . Moreover, defendant did not provide written informed consent waiving the conflict and the required screening procedures were clearly not undertaken “to prevent the flow of information about the matter between the personally disqualified lawyer and the others in the [District Attorney’s office]” … . … [T]he decision on appeal is being withheld and the matter remitted to County Court for the expeditious appointment of a special prosecutor … . People v Butts, 2024 NY Slip Op 03567, Third Dept 7-3-24

Practice Point: If the prosecutor handling the appeal was a clerk for the trial judge at the time of defendant’s trial, there is a conflict requiring the appointment of a special prosecutor for the appeal. Here the decision affirming the conviction was vacated and the matter was remitted for the appointment of a special prosecutor.

 

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