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Entries by Bruce Freeman

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WRONGFUL CONVICTION ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED, CONVICTION WAS NOT VACATED ON A GROUND ENUMERATED IN THE COURT OF CLAIMS ACT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined claimant’s wrongful conviction action was properly dismissed because claimant’s judgment of conviction was not vacated on a ground enumerated in the Court of Claims Act: … [T]he County Court Judge averred that he vacated claimant’s judgment pursuant to CPL 440.10 (1) (f) “and/or” CPL 440.10 (1) (h). More specifically, the County […]

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DEFENDANTS’ ATTORNEYS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE THEY HAD REPRESENTED PLAINTIFFS’ TRUSTEE, A NONPARTY, IN AN UNRELATED MATTER (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, over a concurrence, determined that defendants’ attorneys, Rupp Baase, should not have been disqualified because the firm had represented a nonparty trustee of plaintiffs on an unrelated matter. The concurrence argued the matter was not justiciable because the court was asked to decide whether there was a conflict of interest […]

MERELY LOSING ONE’S BALANCE AND FALLING FROM A LADDER DOES NOT GIVE RISE TO LIABILITY UNDER LABOR LAW 240 (1) (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff was not entitled to summary judgment in this Labor Law 240 (1), 241 (6) and 200 action. There were questions of fact about how the accident happened, whether the plaintiff was employed by a defendant, whether that defendant was employed by the owner, and whether defendant had […]

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CRITERIA FOR A MOTION TO RENEW WERE NOT MET, DISSENTERS ARGUED THE COURT HAD THE DISCRETION TO CONSIDER THE MOTION AS A MOTION TO REARGUE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, over a two-justice dissent, determined the motion to renew should not have been granted. The dissenters argued the motion could have been considered a motion to reargue in the exercise of discretion: It is well settled that “[a] motion for leave to renew must be based upon new facts […]

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COMPLAINT DID NOT STATE CAUSES OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENT HIRING AND SUPERVISION OR PRIMA FACIE TORT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff, the assignee of no-fault benefits, did not state valid causes of action against the insurer for breach of contract, negligent hiring and supervision, and prima facie tort. The claims were paid by the defendant and plaintiff alleged flaws and delays in the processing of the claims: The […]

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EVIDENCE DID NOT SUPPORT A LEVEL THREE RISK ASSESSMENT, REDUCED TO LEVEL TWO; STANDARD OF PROOF IS PREPONDERANCE NOT CLEAR AND CONVINCING (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined there was insufficient evidence to justify a level three risk assessment. The assessment was reduced to level two. The court noted that County Court should have applied the preponderant evidence standard, not a clear and convincing standard: … [T]he People did not establish by clear and convincing evidence that defendant had […]

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TWELVE YEAR SENTENCE FOR CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE THIRD DEGREE DEEMED UNDULY HARSH AND SEVERE, REDUCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE, TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, over a two-justice partial dissent, reduced defendant’s sentence in this “criminal possession of a controlled substance third degree” case from 12 to seven years. The period of post-release supervision was reduced from three to one and a half years. Defendant was found in possession of over 35 ounces of cocaine: … [W]e […]

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MORTGAGE WAS NOT ACCELERATED UNTIL THE FORECLOSURE ACTION WAS COMMENCED IN OCTOBER 2016; ACTION FOR THE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS MISSED DURING THE SIX YEARS PRIOR TO OCTOBER 2016 IS TIMELY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the mortgage was not accelerated until the foreclosure action was commenced in October, 2016. Therefore the action was not time-barred, except for the mortgages payments due but not paid more than six years prior to October 2016 (missed payments prior to October 2010): … [C]ontrary to the defendant’s […]

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PARTY AND ITS ATTORNEYS ORDERED TO PAY SANCTIONS FOR FAILING TO INFORM THE APPELLATE COURT OF THE SETTLEMENT OF ACTIONS ON APPEAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department imposed sanctions on a party and its attorneys for failure to inform the appellate court of the settlement of matters on appeal: … Gross Polowy, LLC, trial counsel for the respondent, is directed to pay a sanction in the [*2]sum of $1,000 to the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection of the State of New York […]

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DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED A PREDICATE SEX OFFENDER BASED UPON A MICHIGAN CONVICTION OF “BREAKING AND ENTERING AN OCCUPIED DWELLING WITH THE INTENT TO COMMIT CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT IN THE SECOND DEGREE” (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined defendant should not have been classified as a predicate sex offender based upon a Michigan conviction of breaking and entering an occupied dwelling with the intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in the second degree: Supreme Court should not have, in effect, designated the defendant a predicate sex offender based upon his […]

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