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COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO IMPUTE INCOME TO A PARTY IN FAMILY COURT ACT CUSTODY-VISITATION PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE PARTY’S ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSIGNED COUNSEL, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Peradotto, reversing Supreme Court, determined the court did not have the power to impute income to the defendant for the purpose of determining defendant’s eligibility for assigned counsel in a Family Court Act custody/visitation matter. Defendant was a PhD student living with his parents and had very little income. After a hearing, Supreme Court imputed $50,000 in annual income to the defendant, making him ineligible for assigned counsel:

… [A] person facing potential jail time for willfully violating court orders has a significant stake in the proceedings, and the legislature has guaranteed an equal playing field between the parties by providing such a person with assigned counsel if he or she is financially unable to obtain private counsel… . Moreover, to the extent that the court is concerned that defendant could bring serial modification petitions with impunity, thereby causing plaintiff to repeatedly expend her personal funds, we note that sanctions may be imposed for frivolous conduct …  and, in an appropriate case, a court may preclude a party from filing new petitions without permission of the court where the record establishes that the party has abused the judicial process by engaging in meritless, frivolous or vexatious litigation … . We thus conclude that the court erred in determining that it was authorized to impute income to defendant in determining his eligibility for assigned counsel and, based upon the documentation provided by defendant indisputably establishing that he “is financially unable to obtain” counsel … . Carney v Carney, 2018 NY Slip Op 02034, Fourth Dept 3-23-18

FAMILY LAW (ATTORNEYS, COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO IMPUTE INCOME TO A PARTY IN FAMILY COURT ACT CUSTODY-VISITATION PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE PARTY’S ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSIGNED COUNSEL, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (FAMILY LAW, ASSIGNED COUNSEL,  COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO IMPUTE INCOME TO A PARTY IN FAMILY COURT ACT CUSTODY-VISITATION PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE PARTY’S ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSIGNED COUNSEL, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (FOURTH DEPT))/ASSIGNED COUNSEL (FAMILY LAW, COURT DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO IMPUTE INCOME TO A PARTY IN FAMILY COURT ACT CUSTODY-VISITATION PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE PARTY’S ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSIGNED COUNSEL, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (FOURTH DEPT))

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ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, over a strong two-justice dissent, affirmed defendant’s murder conviction despite the introduction of highly prejudicial evidence of unrelated crimes and defense counsel’s failure to object to that inadmissible propensity evidence. The majority decided not to address the inadmissible propensity evidence because defense counsel did not object to it (error not preserved for appeal). The majority further determined that allowing the jury to hear the inadmissible propensity evidence was a valid defense strategy (painting the admission to the charged crime and other crimes as merely tough talk):

We conclude, contrary to the view of our dissenting colleagues, that defendant received effective assistance of counsel. It is well settled that “a reviewing court must avoid confusing true ineffectiveness with mere losing tactics’ ” … . It “is not for [the] court to second-guess whether a course chosen by defendant’s counsel was the best trial strategy, or even a good one, so long as defendant was afforded meaningful representation” … . Crucially, we note that the evidence in question is the very same evidence upon which defendant relied to establish his defense at trial. The defense theory of the case, as articulated in defense counsel’s summation, was that defendant did not kill the victim; he was merely “talking tough” because he was afraid of being in jail. Indeed, as defendant told the investigators, he was just “trying to sound bigger than he really was.” Defense counsel urged the jury to find defendant’s statements unworthy of belief because defendant was frightened and “puffing.” In an effort to deflect the jury’s attention from defendant’s admissions to the charged crime, defense counsel made a deliberate choice, as a matter of trial strategy, to leave those admissions in the context of the gratuitous boasting in which they arose. Although the evidence in question would have been excludable upon a motion by defendant, we conclude that the evidence was consistent with the defense strategy. Moreover, the redaction of such material from the letter and audio recording would have highlighted defendant’s confession to the [charged] homicide. In other words, extracting defendant’s admissions from the extraneous talk that was consistent with the puffing defense would have undercut the defense theory and focused the jury’s attention on defendant’s admissions of guilt. People v Anderson, 2018 NY Slip Op 02105, Fourth Dept 3-23-18

CRIMINAL LAW (ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, UNCHARGED CRIMES, ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))/UNCHARGED CRIMES (ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))/PROPENSITY EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, UNCHARGED CRIMES, ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE, ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))/INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL (CRIMINAL LAW, ALLOWING THE JURY TO HEAR INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S ADMISSIONS TO THE COMMISSION OF UNRELATED CRIMES WAS DEEMED A VALID DEFENSE STRATEGY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR LETTING THE EVIDENCE COME IN, STRONG TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FOURTH DEPT))

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DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined Supreme Court should not have required defendant to proceed pro se on the People’s motion to compel him to submit to a buccal swab for DNA testing:

We … agree with defendant that the court erred in requiring him to proceed pro se on the People’s motion to compel him to submit to a buccal swab for DNA testing … . Contrary to the People’s contention, the court’s error cannot be deemed harmless, inasmuch as the evidence apart from the DNA evidence is not overwhelming, and there is a reasonable possibility that the error contributed to the conviction … . We therefore hold the case, reserve decision, and remit the matter to Supreme Court for further proceedings on the People’s motion following the assignment of counsel to represent defendant thereon. People v Pressley, 2018 NY Slip Op 02114, Fourth Dept 3-23-18

CRIMINAL LAW (ATTORNEYS, DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, BUCCAL SWAB, DNA, DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT))/BUCCAL SWAB (CRIMINAL LAW, DNA, DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT))/DNA (CRIMINAL LAW, BUCCAL SWAB, ATTORNEYS, DEFENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PROCEED PRO SE ON THE PEOPLE’S MOTION TO COMPEL A BUCCAL SWAB FOR DNA TESTING (FOURTH DEPT))

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TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined: (1) the court erred when ii refused to reopen the proof after a video played for the first time during summation demonstrated defendant’s estranged wife, the alleged victim, had apparently not testified truthfully; and (2) defense counsel was ineffective for failing to view the entire video before trial. The video was from a convenience store. The estranged wife testified that the defendant fired shots at her as she was driving two minutes after leaving the convenience store. She testified she was driving a green Lexus with one child when the shots were fired. The video apparently showed her leaving the convenience store in a blue-gray Nissan with two children:

… [T]he decision to permit a party to reopen the case, at least prior to its submission to the jury, lies within the discretion of the trial court … . A trial court’s discretion to preclude evidence is nonetheless “circumscribed by the defendant’s constitutional rights to present a defense and confront his [or her] accusers” … , because “[a] defendant always has the constitutional right to present a complete defense”… and “to put before a jury evidence that might influence the determination of guilt” … . …

Here, defendant’s arguments in support of his motion to reopen the proof implicated the constitutional aspects of his contention raised on appeal, i.e., that reopening the proof was necessary to afford him a fair trial and his right to present a defense to the allegations upon which he was being prosecuted. To the extent that defendant did not preserve the constitutional aspects of his contention for our review by failing to raise them sufficiently before the trial court … , we exercise our power to review those aspects of his contention as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice … . People v Owens, 2018 NY Slip Op 01712, Fourth Dept 3-16-18

CRIMINAL LAW (TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, REOPEN PROOF, TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, (TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT))/INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE (CRIMINAL LAW, TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT))/TRIALS (CRIMINAL LAW, REOPEN PROOF, TRIAL JUDGE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED DEFENSE COUNSEL TO REOPEN THE PROOF AFTER A VIDEO PLAYED DURING SUMMATION DEMONSTRATED THE ALLEGED VICTIM HAD NOT TESTIFIED TRUTHFULLY, DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO VIEW THE ENTIRE VIDEO PRIOR TO TRIAL (FOURTH DEPT))

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JUDGE SHOULD HAVE INQUIRED INTO DEFENDANT’S REQUEST FOR NEW COUNSEL AFTER LEARNING DEFENDANT HAD FILED A GRIEVANCE, NEW TRIAL ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction and ordering a new trial, determined County Court should have inquired into defendant’s request for new counsel after learning defendant had filed a grievance against his attorney:

Defendant contends that County Court erred in denying his request to substitute his second assigned attorney and, at a minimum, should have conducted a more detailed inquiry with respect to his complaints about counsel’s performance.

” [A]lthough there is no rule requiring that a defendant who has filed a grievance against his attorney be assigned new counsel, [a] court [is] required to make an inquiry to determine whether defense counsel [can] continue to represent defendant in light of the grievance’ ” … . Here, we agree with defendant that the court should have “made at least some minimal inquiry in light of defense counsel’s statement that the defendant had filed a grievance against him,” in order to determine whether defense counsel was properly able to continue to represent defendant … . We thus conclude that the court thereby violated defendant’s right to counsel and that defendant is entitled to a new trial … , prior to which he should be given the opportunity to retain counsel or be assigned new counsel if appropriate. People v Hardy, 2018 NY Slip Op 01837, Fourth Dept 3-16-16

CRIMINAL LAW (ATTORNEYS, JUDGE SHOULD HAVE INQUIRED INTO DEFENDANT’S REQUEST FOR NEW COUNSEL AFTER LEARNING DEFENDANT HAD FILED A GRIEVANCE, NEW TRIAL ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, JUDGE SHOULD HAVE INQUIRED INTO DEFENDANT’S REQUEST FOR NEW COUNSEL AFTER LEARNING DEFENDANT HAD FILED A GRIEVANCE, NEW TRIAL ORDERED (FOURTH DEPT))

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DEFENDANT WAS NOT APPRISED OF THE DEPORTATION CONSEQUENCES OF HIS PLEAS, MATTER REMITTED FOR OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE TO VACATE THE PLEAS (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined defendant was not warned of the deportation consequences of his guilty pleas. The matter was remitted to give the defendant the opportunity to move to vacate the pleas:

Here, the record does not demonstrate that the Supreme Court apprised the defendant of the possibility of deportation as a consequence of the defendant’s pleas. Accordingly, we remit the matter to the Supreme Court, Kings County, to afford the defendant an opportunity to move to vacate his pleas, and for a report by the Supreme Court thereafter. Any such motion shall be made by the defendant within 60 days after the date of this decision and order … , and, upon such motion, the defendant will have the burden of establishing that there is a “reasonable probability” that he would not have pleaded guilty had the court advised him of the possibility of deportation… . In its report to this Court, the Supreme Court shall state whether the defendant moved to vacate his pleas of guilty, and if so, shall set forth its finding as to whether the defendant made the requisite showing or failed to make the requisite showing … . People v Cole, 2018 NY Slip Op 01612, Second Dept 3-14-18

CRIMINAL LAW (DEFENDANT WAS NOT APPRISED OF THE DEPORTATION CONSEQUENCES OF HIS PLEAS, MATTER REMITTED FOR OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE TO VACATE THE PLEAS (SECOND DEPT))/DEPORTATION (CRIMINAL LAW, DEFENDANT WAS NOT APPRISED OF THE DEPORTATION CONSEQUENCES OF HIS PLEAS, MATTER REMITTED FOR OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE TO VACATE THE PLEAS (SECOND DEPT))

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NO EVIDENCE OF THREATENED USE OF A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, ROBBERY FIRST CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED, COUNTY COURT DID NOT CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO DEFENSE COUNSEL’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW, CONVICTION REVERSED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, over a dissent, determined the evidence was insufficient to support the robbery first degree charge (no evidence of threat with a dangerous instrument) and the trial court should have conducted an inquiry into defense counsel’s request to withdraw:

Indisputably, the “gun” was plastic and did not work, and there was no evidence that it could potentially harm someone… . Similarly, while there was testimony that one of the men entering the motel room was holding the tire checker, there was no evidence that any individual brandished the tire checker in a threatening manner… . … [T]here is no question that one of the individuals possessed a dangerous instrument. What was missing was any evidence that there was any verbal threat of immediate use of the instrument or that it was “employ[ed]” in any way … . * * *

… [D]efendant’s right to counsel was not adequately protected. County Court’s determination focused on the inconveniences that would result if counsel were substituted and the trial were delayed one month, as well as defendant’s propensity to complain. But it was trial counsel, not defendant, complaining that the relationship had broken down, and the request was not made on the eve of trial. While we are not suggesting that a request made by counsel warrants heightened inquiry, “a conflict of interest or other irreconcilable conflict with counsel” may constitute good cause for substitution… , and there was no inquiry here to assess the gravity of counsel’s concerns in this regard. The motion raised specific examples to support trial counsel’s claim that there was “an irretrievable breakdown” in the relationship with defendant. As such, the court should have first questioned both defendant and trial counsel about “the nature of the disagreement or its potential for resolution” prior to denying the motion … . Absent such a “minimal inquiry,” we are compelled to reverse the judgment of conviction … . People v Matthews, 2018 NY Slip Op 01499, Second Dept 3-8-18

CRIMINAL LAW (EVIDENCE, ATTORNEYS, NO EVIDENCE OF THREATENED USE OF A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, ROBBERY FIRST CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED, COUNTY COURT DID NOT CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO DEFENSE COUNSEL’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW, CONVICTION REVERSED (THIRD DEPT))/ROBBERY (DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, NO EVIDENCE OF THREATENED USE OF A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, ROBBERY FIRST CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED (THIRD DEPT))/EVIDENCE (ROBBERY, DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, NO EVIDENCE OF THREATENED USE OF A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, ROBBERY FIRST CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED (THIRD DEPT))/DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT (ROBBERY, NO EVIDENCE OF THREATENED USE OF A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT, ROBBERY FIRST CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED (THIRD DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, COUNTY COURT DID NOT CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO DEFENSE COUNSEL’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW, CONVICTION REVERSED (THIRD DEPT))/RIGHT TO COUNSEL  (CRIMINAL LAW, COUNTY COURT DID NOT CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO DEFENSE COUNSEL’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW, CONVICTION REVERSED (THIRD DEPT))/WITHDRAW (CRIMINAL LAW, DEFENSE COUNSEL, COUNTY COURT DID NOT CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE INQUIRY INTO DEFENSE COUNSEL’S REQUEST TO WITHDRAW, CONVICTION REVERSED (THIRD DEPT))

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DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, over a dissent, determined defendant’s motion to suppress his statement and a buccal swab should have granted but the error was harmless. The dissent argued the error was not harmless. The court noted that a violation of the right to counsel can be raised on appeal even when the error was not preserved:

… [A] recording of the defendant’s custodial statement to the police, which was entered into evidence at the hearing, shows that during the interview the defendant twice stated, “I think I need a lawyer.” The defendant’s statements constituted an unequivocal invocation of the right to counsel, and after those statements, the police continued their questioning of the defendant and took no steps to comply with the defendant’s unequivocal request for counsel. Therefore, the remainder of the defendant’s statement after that point, as well as the buccal swab that he provided to the police after that point, should have been suppressed from evidence … . People v Bethea, 2018 NY Slip Op 01474, Second Dept 3-7-18

CRIMINAL LAW (DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, RIGHT TO COUNSEL, DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, SUPPRESSION,  DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/APPEALS (CRIMINAL LAW, RIGHT TO COUNSEL, DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/RIGHT TO COUNSEL (DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/SUPPRESSION (CRIMINAL LAW, EVIDENCE, DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))/BUCCAL SWAB (CRIMINAL LAW, SUPPRESSION, DEFENDANT MADE TWO UNEQUIVOCAL REQUESTS FOR COUNSEL, HIS STATEMENT AND A BUCCAL SWAB SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR NEED NOT BE PRESERVED FOR APPEAL, ERROR HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT))

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FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW FATHER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined father’s desire to represent himself in this custody proceeding should have been honored by the court. Family Court had ordered that father be allowed only supervised visitation until he retained counsel:

The father had a statutory right to counsel in these Family Court proceedings… . However, he also had the right to waive counsel and proceed pro se, provided he waived his right to counsel knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily… . “Where a respondent has made a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary choice to represent himself or herself, forcing a lawyer upon [him or her] is contrary to his [or her] basic right to defend himself [or herself]'” … .

Where a party unequivocally and timely asserts the right to self-representation, the court must conduct a searching inquiry to ensure that the waiver of the right to counsel is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary … . “While there is no rigid formula to the court’s inquiry, there must be a showing that the party was aware of the dangers and disadvantages of proceeding without counsel” … . The Court of Appeals has stated that the better practice is to ask the party about his or her age, education, occupation, previous exposure to legal procedures, and other relevant factors bearing on a competent, intelligent, and voluntary waiver … .

Here, the father unequivocally and timely asserted his right to represent himself in the Family Court proceedings. The Family Court engaged in a searching inquiry of the father, which revealed that he knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his right to counsel, and that it was his desire and personal choice to proceed pro se. The court properly warned him of the perils of self-representation, which he acknowledged. The father is a tax attorney, and his relative ignorance of family law did not justify the court’s denial of his request, as mere ignorance of the law is insufficient to deprive one of the right to self-representation … . Matter of Aleman v Lansch, 2018 NY Slip Op 01303, Second Dept, 2-28-18

FAMILY LAW (FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW FATHER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT))/CUSTODY (FAMILY LAW, FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW FATHER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (FAMILY LAW, FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW FATHER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT))/PRO SE (FAMILY LAW, FAMILY COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW FATHER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF IN THIS CUSTODY PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT))

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DEFENSE COUNSEL TOOK A POSITION ADVERSE TO HER CLIENT’S MOTION TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA, SENTENCE VACATED AND MATTER REMITTED FOR ASSIGNMENT OF A NEW ATTORNEY FOR THE MOTION (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, vacating defendant’s sentence, determined County County should have assigned a new attorney after defense counsel took a position adverse to her client’s motion to withdraw his plea:

At sentencing, defense counsel appropriately advised County Court that, although she had counseled defendant regarding the potential consequences of withdrawing his guilty plea, and despite her legal advice to the contrary, defendant nevertheless wished to proceed with such a motion. Defendant thereafter set forth various reasons as to why he believed he was entitled to the requested relief. In response to County Court’s subsequent inquiries, however, defense counsel made comments that, in our view, could be construed as undermining the very arguments that defendant had raised in support of his motion. Accordingly, once defense counsel took a position that was adverse to defendant, County Court should have assigned a new attorney to represent him on his motion to withdraw his plea … . People v Oliver, 2018 NY Slip Op 01221, Third Dept 2-22-18

CRIMINAL LAW (ATTORNEYS, DEFENSE COUNSEL TOOK A POSITION ADVERSE TO HER CLIENT’S MOTION TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA, SENTENCE VACATED AND MATTER REMITTED FOR ASSIGNMENT OF A NEW ATTORNEY FOR THE MOTION (THIRD DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, DEFENSE COUNSEL TOOK A POSITION ADVERSE TO HER CLIENT’S MOTION TO WITHDRAW HIS PLEA, SENTENCE VACATED AND MATTER REMITTED FOR ASSIGNMENT OF A NEW ATTORNEY FOR THE MOTION (THIRD DEPT))

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