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Entries by Bruce Freeman

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PLAINTIFF SLIPPED AND FELL ON TRACKED-IN-RAIN DURING AN ONGOING STORM; DEFENDANT HAD PLACED MATS NEAR THE DOOR AND ELSEWHERE; DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the defendant (Open Kitchen) in this tracked-in-rain slip and fall case was entitled to summary judgment. Open Kitchen demonstrated plaintiff slipped and fell during an ongoing rain storm and it had placed mats near the door and elsewhere: … [T]here is no evidence that Open Kitchen either created […]

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HERE THE CUSTODY CASE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A NEW JUDGE; THE PREVIOUS JUDGE’S ORDERS CONSTITUTED THE LAW OF THE CASE WHICH CANNOT BE VIOLATED BY SUBSEQUENT ORDERS BY THE NEW JUDGE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Family Court, determined the judge to whom the case was transferred should not have issued orders which conflicted with those issued by the previous judge, which constituted the law of the case: The March 21, 2023 order, which directed a hearing on the father’s motion to vacate the 2017 custody order, […]

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THE JUDGE IN THIS MENTAL HYGIENE LAW PROCEEDING SHOULD NOT HAVE HELD THE HEARING ON WHETHER APPELLANT WAS AN INCAPACITATED PERSON IN HER ABSENCE WITHOUT FIRST FINDING SHE COULD NOT MEANINGFULLY PARTICIPATE; IN ADDITION, COUNSEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPOINTED FOR APPELLANT BECAUSE SHE WAS CONTESTING THE GUARDIANSHIP PETITION (THIRD DEPT).

The First Department, vacating the judgment that appellant is an incapacitated person and remanding for a hearing, determined Supreme Court should not have held the Mental Hygiene Law section 81.11 hearing in appellant’s absence without first making the finding she was unable to meaningfully participate in it. In addition, Supreme Court should have appointed counsel […]

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COUNTY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE ORDERED RESTITUTION, WHICH WAS NOT MENTIONED IN DEFENDANT’S COOPERATION AGREEMENT, WITHOUT FIRST GIVING DEFENDANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing County Court, determined the judge should not have made restitution part of defendant’s sentence without giving the defendant the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea or accept the enhanced sentence: ​”[A] sentencing court may not impose a more severe sentence than one bargained for without providing the defendant the opportunity to […]

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DEFENDANT SCHOOL DISTRICT DID NOT MAKE OUT A PRIMA FACIE CASE DEMONSTRATING IT LACKED CONSTRUCTIVE NOTICE OF THE TEACHER’S ALLEGED PROPENSITY TO SEXUALLY ABUSE CHILDREN; THEREFORE ITS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS CHILD VICTIMS ACT CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant school district was not entitled to summary judgment in this case alleging sexual abuse by a teacher in 2013 – 2014. A question of fact had been raised about whether the school district knew or should have known of the teacher’s alleged propensity to abuse children: “Although […]

THE COMPLAINT STATED CAUSES OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF THE IMPLIED COVENANT OF GOOD FAITH AND FAIR DEALINGS, AS WELL AS PROMISSORY ESTOPPEL AND UNJUST ENRICHMENT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the complaint stated a cause of action for breach of contract based on the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. In addition, the Second Department held that the promissory estoppel and unjust enrichment causes of action did not duplicate the breach of contract causes of action: […]

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THE FAILURE TO GRANT PLAINTIFF’S REQUEST THAT THE JURY BE GIVEN AN INTERROGATORY ON THE THEORY THE SURGEON IMPROPERLY PERFORMED A PROCEDURE WAS REVERSIBLE ERROR ( SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, ordering a new trial on one of the theories of negligence, determined plaintiff’s request that the jury be given an interrogatory should have been granted: … [T]he Supreme Court erred in denying the plaintiff’s request that the jury be given an interrogatory asking whether [defendant] Lazzaro departed from good and accepted standards […]

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FAILURE TO PROVE COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOTICE-OF-FORECLOSURE PROVISIONS OF RPAPL 1304 REQUIRED REVERSAL OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the plaintiff’s failure to prove compliance with the notice requirements in RPAPL 1304 required reversal in this foreclosure action: … [T]he plaintiff failed to demonstrate, prima facie, its strict compliance with RPAPL 1304. To that end, the plaintiff submitted an affidavit of Sarah L. Stonehocker, a vice president […]

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PROOF THAT PLAINTIFF WIFE ASSUMED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOUSEHOLD CHORES, COOKING, TRANSPORTIING THE CHILDREN, AND CARED FOR THE INJURED PLAINTIFF, WARRANTED A $40,000 AWARD FOR LOSS OF SERVICES; THE JURY HAD AWARDED $0 DAMAGES (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, remanding for a new trial unless the parties stipulate to a damages award of $40,000 for loss of services, determined the jury’s award of $0 damages constituted a material deviation from reasonable compensation: Plaintiff wife testified that after the injured plaintiff’s accident, she assumed full responsibility for household chores, cooking, and transportation […]

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DEFENDANT’S 2013 GUILTY PLEA WAS DEEMED DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THE JUDGE FAILED TO ENSURE THE DEFENDANT UNDERSTOOD THE CHARGE; BECAUSE THE 2013 CONVICTION WAS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY OBTAINED, IT CANNOT BE A BASIS, IN 2020, FOR SENTENCING THE DEFENDANT AS A PERSISTENT VIOLENT PREDICATE FELON; SENTENCE VACATED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, remanding the matter for resentencing, determined defendant should not have been sentenced as a persistent violent predicate felon based on a 2013 guilty plea because the plea to attempted burglary second was constitutionally invalid. In the plea allocution, defendant indicated he formulated the intent to steal after he entered the dwelling, prompting […]

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