You are here: / / DEFENDANT MOVED TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION ARGUING HIS ATTORNEY WAS INEFFECTIVE...
, ,

DEFENDANT MOVED TO VACATE HIS CONVICTION ARGUING HIS ATTORNEY WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR WAIVING AN INTERPRETER; COUNTY COURT SHOULD HAVE HELD A HEARING ON THE MOTION; TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing County Court, over a two-justice dissent. determined County Court should have held a hearing on defendant’s motion to vacate his conviction. Defendant argued defense attorney’s waiver of an interpreter constituted ineffective assistance. Defendant’s ineffective-assistance argument on direct appeal had been rejected, but the motion to vacate properly raised the waiver of an interpreter as a new issue:

We agree with defendant that County Court erred in its determination that defendant’s claim that he was denied effective assistance of counsel was procedurally barred pursuant to CPL 440.10 (2) (a) … . Although on direct appeal we rejected defendant’s contention that he was denied effective assistance of counsel … , we conclude that his present contentions are properly raised by way of a CPL 440.10 motion because they concern matters outside the record that was before us on his direct appeal … . Defendant’s motion contained sufficient evidence, including “sworn allegations . . by . . . defendant or by another person or persons” (CPL 440.30 [1] [a]), demonstrating that a hearing is necessary to determine whether trial counsel’s waiver of an interpreter for defendant adversely affected defendant’s right to meaningfully participate in his own defense … . Specifically, defendant submitted evidence that, although he was able to navigate conversational topics in English, he required the assistance of an interpreter when discussing more technical or esoteric topics and that he had in fact utilized the assistance of an interpreter at all but one court appearance prior to his trial counsel waiving such services for defendant just prior to trial. “Although the evidence in support of the motion does not ‘conclusively substantiate[ ] by unquestionable documentary proof’ that vacatur is required due to a violation of defendant’s right to [effective assistance of] counsel . . . , it is nonetheless suggestive of that fact” … . Defendant is therefore entitled to a hearing “on his entire claim of ineffective assistance of counsel inasmuch as such a claim constitutes a single, unified claim that must be assessed in totality” … . People v Anwar, 2025 NY Slip Op 04301, Fourth Dept 7-25-25

Practice Point: This decision gives some insight into when the court must conduct a hearing on a motion to vacate a conviction. The discussion is enriched by a two-justice dissent.

 

You might also like
Plaintiff Was Unable to Raise a Question of Fact About Whether Her Injuries Were Related to a Preexisting Condition
CONTRARY TO THE TRIAL JUDGE’S RULING, DEFENDANT HAD SATISFIED THE FIRST STEP OF A BATSON CHALLENGE TO THE PEOPLE’S STRIKING OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PROSPECTIVE JUROR, THE BURDEN THEN SHIFTED TO THE PEOPLE TO ARTICULATE A NONDISCRIMINATORY REASON, THE MATTER IS SENT BACK FOR A DETERMINATION OF THE BATSON CHALLENGE USING THE CORRECT PROCEDURE (FOURTH DEPT).
In a Partition Action, Tenant in Common Not Liable to Other Tenants in Common for Use and Occupancy of the Property/Tenant in Common Entitled to Reimbursement from Other Tenants in Common for Taxes and Repairs
JUROR NEVER STATED SHE COULD PUT ASIDE HER BIAS IN FAVOR OF POLICE OFFICERS, FOR CAUSE CHALLENGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED.
FAILURE TO MENTION RESTITUTION IN DEFENDANT’S PRESENCE REQUIRES VACATION OF THE SENTENCE; DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF RESTITUTION IN THE PLEA AGREEMENT AND THE CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT MUST BE REMEDIED UPON RESENTENCING (FOURTH DEPT).
THE NONDOMICILIARY DID NOT HAVE MINIMUM CONTACTS WITH NEW YORK; NEW YORK DID NOT HAVE PERSONAL JURISDICTION OVER THIS TRUST LITIGATION (FOURTH DEPT).
IT IS REVERSIBLE ERROR FOR A JUDGE TO NEGOTIATE A PLEA DEAL WITH A CODEFENDANT IN EXCHANGE FOR TESTIMONY AGAINST THE DEFENDANT (FOURTH DEPT).
THE DEFENDANT EMPLOYEE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM A CORPORATE MEETING HELD BY HIS EMPLOYER WHEN THE CAR ACCIDENT HAPPENED; THE EMPLOYER’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSING THE COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE DRIVER WAS NOT ACTING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF HIS EMPLOYMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FOURTH 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

THE PURPOSE AND REACH OF THE FORECLOSURE ABUSE PREVENTION ACT (FAPA) EXPLAINED... SUPREME COURT PROPERLY CONSOLIDATED TWO INDICTMENTS, CRITERIA EXPLAINED; THERE...