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DEFENDANT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED A YOUTHFUL OFFENDER; IN ADDITION TO DEFENDANT’S MEETING THE CRITERIA, THE PEOPLE APPARENTLY LOST EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE BEFORE OFFERING A PLEA DEAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant should have been adjudicated a youthful offender, noting the People may have possessed exculpatory evidence which was lost before the plea offer was made: … [U]pon its determination of eligibility, the Supreme Court should have adjudicated the defendant a youthful offender. “In making such a determination, factors […]

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THE CONDEMNATION OF PROPERTY WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY A DEMONSTRATION OF URBAN BLIGHT OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSE; THE SEQRA NEGATIVE DECLARATION WAS NOT SUPPORTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, annulling the determination of the City of White Plains Urban Renewal Agency, held that the agency did not demonstrate the condemnation of the petitioners’ proper served a public purpose. The condemnation was founded on a 25-year-old study which found the area was affected by “urban blight.” The court noted that the State […]

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PETITIONER’S INCAPACITATING INJURIES EXCUSED THE DELAY IN FILING A NOTICE OF CLAIM; ALTHOUGH THE MUNICIPALITY DID NOT HAVE TIMELY NOTICE OF THE POTENTIAL LAWSUIT, IT SUFFERED NO PREJUDICE FROM THE DELAY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined the petitioner’s catastrophic injuries constituted a reasonable excuse for the delay in filing a notice of claim and, although the municipality did not have timely notice of the potential lawsuit, the municipality was not prejudiced by the delay: As a result of the accident, the petitioner allegedly sustained a depressed skull […]

MOTHER’S REFUSING TO SIGN MEDICAL CONSENT FORMS FOR PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT OF HER CHILD DID NOT CONSTITUTE NEGLECT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) did not demonstrate mother had neglected the child by refusing to sign medical consent forms which resulted in the child being discharged from the psychiatric care at the Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC): ACS failed to establish by a preponderance of the […]

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ALTHOUGH AN ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNER CAN BE LIABLE FOR A DANGEROUS CONDITION IN THE GRASSY STRIP BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE CURB, HERE THE PROPERTY OWNER DEMONSTRATED HE DID NOT CREATE THE CONDITION; IN ADDITION, THE VILLAGE CODE DID NOT IMPOSE TORT LIABILITY ON PROPERTY OWNERS, AN ISSUE PROPERLY CONSIDERED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON APPEAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant property-owner’s motion for summary judgment in this sidewalk slip and fall case should have been granted. Although, pursuant to the Vehicle and Traffic Law, defendant can be responsible for a dangerous condition in the grassy strip between the sidewalk and a curb, here defendant demonstrated he did […]

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THE LEGAL MALPRACTICE CAUSE OF ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED ON THE GROUND THERE WAS NO WRITTEN RETAINER AGREEMENT AND THEREFORE NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP; THE COMPLAINT ALLEGED WORDS AND ACTIONS SUFFICIENT TO ASSERT THE EXISTENCE OF AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the legal malpractice action should not have been dismissed on the ground there was no retainer agreement and therefore no attorney-client relationship: As to the legal malpractice cause of action, the … defendants contend that they had no attorney-client relationship with the plaintiff. An attorney-client relationship may […]

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THE BREACH OF CONTRACT CAUSE OF ACTION ALLEGING DEFENDANT ATTORNEY OVERBILLED SHOULD HAVE SURVIVED THE MOTION TO DISMISS DESPITE THE DISMISSAL OF THE LEGAL MALPRACTICE CAUSE OF ACTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the cause of action for breach of contract alleging overbilling by defendant attorney (Drexel) should have survived the motion to dismiss, even though the legal malpractice cause of action was properly dismissed: … [T]he Supreme Court should have denied that branch of [defendant-attorney] Drexel’s motion which was […]

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THE ALLEGATION PLAINTIFF WOULD HAVE WON HIS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION HEARING HAD HIS ATTORNEY PRESENTED EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY WAS TOO SPECULATIVE TO SUPPORT A LEGAL MALPRACTICE ACTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the legal malpractice action should have been dismissed. Plaintiff alleged he would have won his Workers’ Compensation hearing had his attorney presented the testimony of alleged eyewitnesses to his alleged fall from a ladder. The claim that, “but for” the attorney’s negligence, the plaintiff would have won the […]

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THE JUDGE’S SUA SPONTE ASSESSEMENT OF RISK LEVEL POINTS WHICH WERE NOT REQUESTED BY THE PEOPLE OR THE BOARD VIOLATED DEFENDANT’S RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing County Court, determined defendant’s due process rights were violated when the judge, sua sponte, assessed risk-level points which were not requested by the People or the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders: “The due process guarantees in the United States and New York Constitutions require that a defendant be afforded notice […]

BECAUSE PLAINTIFF WAS FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF HIS FOREMAN WHEN INJURED BY AN IMPROPERLY HOISTED LOAD, HE COULD NOT BE THE SOLE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF HIS INJURIES (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the plaintiff in this Labor Law 240 (1) and 241 (6) action could not be the sole proximate cause of his injuries because he was following the directions of his foreman when struck by an improperly hoisted load: Plaintiff Samuel Hayek demonstrated prima facie entitlement to summary judgment […]

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