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Entries by Bruce Freeman

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PLAINTIFF, WHO PURCHASED THE PROPERTY, SUED THE PRIOR OWNER IN NEGLIGENCE FOR DAMAGES STEMMING FROM PLAINTIFF’S EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION ON THE PROPERTY; LIABILITY FOR A DANGEROUS CONDITION ON PROPERTY GENERALLY CEASES UPON TRANSFER OF THE PROPERTY; THE NEGLIGENCE CAUSE OF ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Supeme Court, determined plaintiff’s negligence cause of action seeking damages for exposure to contaminants on the land plaintiff purchased from defendant city should have been dismissed. A property owner’s liability for a dangerous condition ceases upon the transfer of the property: We … agree with defendant that the court erred […]

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FATHER’S PETITION FOR CUSTODY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED WITHOUT MAKING A DETERMINATION ON THE MERITS, MATTER REMITTED; THE USUAL PROOF REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARDING CUSTODY TO A NONPARENT DO NOT APPLY TO A TEMPORARY PLACEMENT WITH A NONPARENT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, remitting the matter for a hearing, determined father’s petition for modification of custody should not have been dismissed as moot without making a determination of the merits. The court noted that the usual requirements for awarding custody to a nonparent did not apply to the maternal aunt in this case because she […]

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AN APPELLATE COURT CANNOT CONSIDER A MOTION NOT RULED UPON BELOW; MATTER REMITTED FOR A RULING ON DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR A TRIAL ORDER OF DISMISSAL (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department remitted the case for a ruling on defendant’s motion for a trial order of dismissal. An appellate court cannot consider a motion not ruled upon: Defendant … contends that the evidence is legally insufficient to support the conviction with respect to all counts. At the close of proof, defendant moved for a […]

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THE ALLEGED VICTIM IN THIS RAPE PROSECUTION TESTIFIED SHE PROMPTLY NOTIFIED HER BOYFRIEND OF THE RAPE AND, A FEW HOURS LATER, NOTIFIED HER MOTHER; HER MOTHER TESTIFIED BUT THE BOYFRIEND WAS NOT CALLED; THE DEFENSE REQUEST FOR A MISSING WITNESS JURY INSTRUCTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED ON THE GROUND THE TESTIMONY WOULD BE CUMULATIVE; THE CONCEPT OF “CUMULATIVE” EXPLAINED IN SOME DEPTH (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined the defense request for the missing witness jury instruction should have been granted. The alleged victim in this rape case testified she promptly reported the rape to her boyfriend and, a few hours later, told her mother. The People called her mother as a witness, but not her […]

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THE COURT OF CLAIMS, NOT SUPREME COURT, IS THE PROPER FORUM FOR THIS DECLARATORY JUDGMENT ACTION AGAINST THE STATE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the proper forum for the declaratory judgment cause of action against the state was the Court of Claims. The plaintiffs had filed a breach of contract action in the Court of Claims and this declaratory judgment action is incidental to the alleged breach of contract. Therefore the Court […]

WHEN DEFENDANT BECAME DISRUPTIVE JUST BEFORE THE PROSPECTIVE JURORS WERE BROUGHT IN THE JUDGE HAD HIM REMOVED FROM THE COURTROOM WITHOUT FIRST WARNING HIM AS REQUIRED BY STATUTE; NEW TRIAL ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined the failure to warn defendant before removing him from the courtroom during jury selection required a new trial: On the morning that jury selection was scheduled to begin, but before the prospective jurors had been brought into the courtroom, defendant began shouting, insisting that the court was calling […]

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THE PEOPLE WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE ISSUE WHETHER THE CHEMICAL BREATH TEST SHOULD BE SUPPRESSED; NEW SUPPRESSION HEARING ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, on an appeal by the People, determined County Court should not have suppressed the chemical breath test evidence in this DWI case because the People were not given an opportunity to respond to that suppression issue. The matter was remitted for a new suppression hearing: … [T]he court erred in granting that […]

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THE APPEAL WAIVER WAS INVALID AND THE SENTENCE WAS UNDULY HARSH (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined defendant’s waiver of appeal was invalid and his sentence was unduly harsh. The sentences were modified to run concurrently, not consecutively: We agree with defendant that the purported waiver of the right to appeal is not enforceable inasmuch as the totality of the circumstances fails to reveal that defendant “understood the […]

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ALTHOUGH DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO VACATE THE DEFAULT JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED, DEFENDANT DID RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ON THE VALIDITY OF THE SERVICE OF PROCESS WHICH REQUIRES A HEARING (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion to vacate the default judgment on the ground defendant had not been properly served with the complaint should not have been granted. The matter was remitted for a hearing to determine the validity of the service of process: ” ‘Ordinarily, the affidavit of a process server […]

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THE ACKNOWLEDGED VIOLATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL CODE WAS MERELY “SOME EVIDENCE OF NEGLIGENCE” TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE FACTFINDER AND WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN FAVOR OF PLAINTIFF ON THE LABOR LAW 241 (6) CAUSE OF ACTION (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court determined plaintiff was not entitled to summary judgment on the Labor Law 241 (6) cause of action, despite the acknowledged violation of an Industrial Code provision, 12 NYCRR 23-1.7 (d). Plaintiff alleged he slipped and fall on metal decking on which there was some snow. 12 NYCRR 23-1.7 […]

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