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Entries by Bruce Freeman

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A FOIL REQUEST FOR A ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS (ZBA) MEMO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DENIED BECAUSE PETITIONER HAD UNSUCCESSFULLY SOUGHT TO ANNUL A ZBA RULING; MATTER REMITTED FOR REVIEW OF THE MEMO TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE AS INTER-AGENCY OR INTRA-AGENCY MATERIAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing the denial of the petition, determined the FOIL request for a memo prepared by the Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) should not have been dismissed on the ground the petitioner had unsuccessfully sought to annul a determination by the ZBA. The matter was remitted for a review of […]

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RATHER THAN DISMISSING THE PETITION FOR FAILURE TO INCLUDE NECESSARY PARTIES, SUPREME COURT SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED THAT THE NECESSARY PARTIES BE SUMMONED; THE COURT’S POWER TO SUMMON NECESSARY PARTIES IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RUNNING OF THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS; ONLY THE SUMMONED NECESSARY PARTIES THEMSELVES HAVE STANDING TO RAISE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS DEFENSE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined dismissing the complaint was not the appropriate remedy for petitioners’ failure to include necessary parties, the property owners,, in this Article 78 proceeding challenging zoning variances. Supreme Court should have directed the necessary parties be summoned. The courts power to summon necessary parties is not affected by the […]

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PLAINTIFF POLICE OFFICER WAS PARTICIPATING IN A TRAINING SESSION WHEN HE WAS BITTEN BY A POLICE DOG; THE TRAINING WAS A GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION; THEREFORE THE MUNICIPALITY MUST HAVE OWED PLAINTIFF A SPECIAL DUTY TO BE LIABLE, NOT THE CASE HERE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the municipality (City of Middletown) did not owe a special duty to plaintiff police officer, who was bitten by a police dog during training: The dog handler, Officer McDonald (a City of Middletown police officer), and plaintiff were participants in training sessions conducted by the NYS Homeland Security […]

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PLAINTIFF WAS CROUCHING DOWN MARKING THE FLOOR WITH DUCT TAPE WHEN A LADDER FELL OVER AND STRUCK HIM; PLAINTIFF WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS LABOR LAW 240(1) ACTION (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the defense motion for judgment for summary judgment in this Labor Law 240(1) action should not have been granted and plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment should have been granted. Plaintiff was crouching down marking off areas of the floor with duct tape when an ladder fell over and […]

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THE TRIAL JUDGE COMPLETELY BYPASSED THE BATSON PROCEDURE WHEN DEFENSE COUNSEL OBJECTED TO THE PEOPLE’S PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES TO FOUR JURORS; ALTHOUGH THE JURORS HAD BEEN EXCUSED, THE BATSON OBJECTION WAS TIMELY; ALTHOUGH THE ERROR WAS NOT PRESERVED, THE APPEAL WAS CONSIDERED IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE; CONVICTION HELD IN ABEYANCE AND MATTER REMITTED; TWO JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, holding the judgment of conviction in abeyance and remitting the matter, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Pitt-Burke, over a two-justice dissent, determined (1) the appeal raising an unpreserved objection to the trial judge’s handling of a Batson challenge could be considered “in the interest of justice,” and (2) the trial judge […]

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THE IMPOUNDMENT OF DEFENDANT’S VEHICLE WAS NOT DEMONSTRATED TO HAVE BEEN NECESSARY AND THE PROCEDURES FOR AN INVENTORY SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE WERE NOT FOLLOWED; THE SEIZED HANDGUN SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, granting defendant’s motion to suppress a handgun, over a dissent, determined the impoundment of defendant’s vehicle after a traffic stop was unnecessary and the search of the vehicle was not a valid inventory search: Maggs’ [the arresting officer’s] ambiguous testimony — essentially asserting that any vehicle parked on the street would be […]

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DEFENDANT’S UNEQUIVOCAL ASSERTION OF HIS RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT WAS IGNORED REQUIRING SUPPRESSION OF THE SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS; THE ERROR WAS DEEMED HARMLESS (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined defendant was improperly questioned after he unequivocally asserted his right to remain silent, but found the error harmless: Approximately 45 minutes into the interview, after defendant had been provided his Miranda rights and answered numerous inquiries, defendant told the investigators that just prior to the shooting he observed a fight between […]

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THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT NOTIFIED HE WOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A SEXUALLY VIOLENT OFFENDER, A VIOLATION OF HIS RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS WHICH DEPRIVED HIM OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE THE DESIGNATION ON CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS; MATTER REMITTED (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, vacating the sexually violent offender designation, determined the failure to notify defendant that he would be classified as a violent sexual offender deprived defendant of due process resulting in his inability to argue his constitutional objections to the designation on appeal. The matter was remitted: Here, neither the Board nor the People […]

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THE PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE RULE RE: MUNICIPAL LIABILITY FOR DANGEROUS CONDITIONS APPLIES TO MORE THAN JUST SURFACE DEFECTS; HERE THE RULE APPLIED TO AN ARCH-SHAPED BOLLARD OR BARRIER WHICH FELL OVER WHEN A CHILD WAS SWINGING FROM IT; TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, affirming the dismissal of the complaint, over a two-justice dissent, determined the “written notice” requirement in the City of Ithaca code applied to an arch-shaped bollard or barrier placed to protect a tree from being damaged by cars using a parking lot. As plaintiff’s child grabbed onto the bollard and swung from […]

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PLAINTIFF WAS WORKING ON POWER LINES WHILE SUSPENDED FROM A HELICOPTER WHEN THE HELICOPTER LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED; PLAINTIFF’S LABOR LAW 200, 240 AND 241(6) CAUSES OF ACTION WERE NOT PREEMPTED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ACT (FAA) (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Egan, over a two-justice dissent, determined the Federal Aviation Act (FAA) did not preempt New York’s Labor Law protections for workers. Plaintiff was working on power lines and towers while suspended from a helicopter when the helicopter collided with a structure, lost control and crashed. Plaintiff […]

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