In reversing the order of Family Court, the Fourth Department determined the Support Magistrate should not have ruled respondent had defaulted (respondent’s attorney appeared and requested an adjournment) and the colloquy between petitioner and the Support Magistrate was not a sufficient basis for a factual finding respondent had willfully violated a support order. Family Court, […]
In a full-fledged opinion by Justice Lindley, the Fourth Department determined child support should have been awarded to the wife (defendant), even though the husband had sole legal custody, because the residency of the children was shared equally and the wife’s income was less than the husband’s: …[T]he court erred in awarding child support to […]
In affirming most of Supreme Court’s denial of a defendant’s motion for summary judgment, the Fourth Department explained why the economic loss doctrine did not preclude plaintiff’s recovery in tort, in spite of the contractual relationship between plaintiff and defendant and the contract-based causes of action in the complaint. Pursuant to two contracts, the defendant […]
The Fourth Department affirmed Supreme Court’s denial of a motion to dismiss a malicious prosecution (intentional tort) action against two counties, a district attorney and a medical examiner. The action was commenced after plaintiff was arrested and indicted for the death of his seven-month-old daughter (the indictment was subsequently dismissed). In explaining the nature of […]
The Fourth Department affirmed the dismissal (as untimely) of an Article 78 proceeding against the City of Buffalo and others which sought to compel the city to investigate two fires pursuant to General Municipal Law section 204-d. The Fourth Department explained when the four-month statute of limitations in this “mandamus to compel” action was triggered […]
The Fourth Department determined the defendant’s waiver of appeal was invalid and County Court should have adjudicated the defendant a youthful offender (re: criminal possession of a weapon): …[T]he waiver of the right to appeal is invalid because “the minimal inquiry made by County Court was insufficient to establish that the court engage[d] the defendant […]
The Court of Appeals determined the newspaper articles about plaintiff and plaintiff’s corporation were entitled to absolute privilege in this defamation action: This defamation case arose from a series of articles and editorials published by The Buffalo News (News) in 2007 and 2008 concerning a federal investigation, related lawsuits and a guilty plea in federal […]
The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Piggot, determined a municipal vessel is public work entitling those who work on a municipal vessel to the prevailing wage pursuant to Labor Law 220: We hold that a municipal vessel is a public work within the meaning of Labor Law § 220 and article […]
The Court of Appeals, over a dissent, determined the motion court should have looked at the transcript of the confidential informant’s statements before the magistrate before ruling on whether the search warrant was supported by probable cause. The application and affidavit did not demonstrate the reliability of the informant: … Supreme Court erred by failing […]
The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Smith, over a concurring opinion and a two-judge dissent, determined that a judge must consider whether an eligible youth should be treated as a youthful offender, even where the defendant makes no request to do so: CPL 720.20 (1) says that, where a defendant is […]
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