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Criteria for a Legal Malpractice Action Re: the Attorney’s Performance In a Criminal Trial Explained—Here Plaintiff’s Conviction Was Reversed and Plaintiff Made a Colorable Claim of Innocence

The Third Department determined a legal malpractice action brought by a client represented by the defendant-attorney in a criminal trial properly survived summary judgment.  The defendant's conviction had been overturned by the Third Department and he was not reprosecuted.  Deficiencies in defendant's representation were noted in the reversal-decision:

In a legal malpractice claim, proximate cause is established by demonstrating that “but for the attorney's negligence, [the plaintiff] would have prevailed in the underlying matter or would not have sustained any ascertainable damages”… . Stated differently, “[t]he test is whether a proper defense would have altered the result of the prior action” … which, in the context of a criminal action, requires proof that the criminal defendant would not have been convicted … . Further, “[f]or malpractice actions arising from allegations of negligent representation in a criminal matter, the plaintiff must have at least a colorable claim of actual innocence” … . We find that a colorable claim has been demonstrated here based upon plaintiff's expressed assertions of innocence, together with our reversal of the judgment of conviction, as well as the District Attorney's decision not to reprosecute plaintiff and the consequent dismissal of the indictment … . * * *

Contrary to defendant's argument, plaintiff has sufficiently alleged pecuniary damages …, i.e., damages that “compensate the victim for the economic consequences of the injury” … . Arnold v Devane, 2014 NY Slip Op 08534, 3rd Dept 12-4-14

 

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