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TIME LIMITS ON ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR A PERMANENT PARTIAL DISABILITY INCLUDED IN WCL 15 (3) (w) APPLY TO THE CALCULATION OF THE AMOUNT OF THE BENEFITS IN WCL 15 (3) (v) (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge DiFiore, over a dissenting opinion, determined the durational limits for compensation pursuant to Workers’ Compensation Law (WCL) 15 (3) (w) (paragraph w) are incorporated into WCL 15 (3) (v) (paragraph v). Therefore the claimant was entitled to compensation for permanent partial disability (50 % loss of use of his left arm) only for the 275 weeks allowed by paragraph w:

… [N]othing in the language of paragraph v regarding termination of additional compensation upon eligibility for age-based social security benefits contradicts paragraph w’s durational restrictions or precludes their application to paragraph v recipients. By incorporating the entirety of paragraph w’s framework for calculating benefits, paragraph v provides additional compensation lasting a maximum number of weeks as a supplement to the schedule award the worker already received. Paragraph v’s requirement that such payment terminates if the worker becomes eligible for age-based social security payments (regardless of how many weeks have passed) merely places another limit, where applicable, on the additional compensation a claimant can receive. …

… [N]either of the primary benefits that section 15(3) provides are open-ended. Both schedule loss of use awards and non-schedule benefits continue for a maximum number of weeks, depending on the nature or severity of the worker’s disability. Interpreting paragraph v to grant a subset of recipients open-ended benefits limited only by eligibility for age-based social security payments — an award that would potentially span their working lifetimes — would uniquely benefit that small group above all other permanent partial disability award recipients. There is no textual support for such an exceptional interpretation. Rather, under the plain language of paragraph v, additional compensation awards are calculated pursuant to the formula and durational provisions of paragraph w, terminating earlier if or when a claimant becomes eligible for age-based social security benefits. Matter of Mancini v Office of Children & Family Servs., 2018 NY Slip Op 08425, CtApp 12-11-18

 

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ALTHOUGH DEFENDANT WAS REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER IN VIRGINIA, THERE WAS NO SEX-RELATED ELEMENT IN THE VIRGINIA OFFENSE, DEFENDANT NEED NOT REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER IN NEW YORK (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Feinman, over a three-judge dissenting opinion, determined that defendant need not register as a sex offender in New York based upon a murder conviction in Virginia, even though Virginia law required such registration. There was no sex-related element in the offense. Defendant, in 1989, at age 19, murdered his half-sister because she was harassing him. At the time, he said he was “hearing voices telling him to kill people:”

Blind deference to another jurisdiction’s registry without asking, fundamentally, whether that jurisdiction considers its own registrant a sex offender would contravene the plain and limiting language of section 168-a (2) (d) (ii) and could subject an entire class of defendants with no relation to SORA’s purpose to its strict requirements. * * *

In concluding that SORA does not require defendant’s registration because Virginia does not consider defendant a sex offender, we reserve weightier issues of a foreign registry’s potential conflict with New York’s due process guarantees or public policy for another day. …

… Our holding today merely requires a court or the Board to determine—not based on “intuition,” but rather on the offense of conviction and its relation to the foreign registry statute—whether the out-of-state defendant is considered a sex offender before requiring registration under SORA. …

Defendant’s out-of-state felony conviction did not require him to “register as a sex offender” in Virginia under Correction Law § 168-a (2) (d) (ii) and, thus, he should not be required to register as a sex offender in New York. People v Diaz, 2018 NY Slip Op 08424, CtApp 12-11-18

 

 

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RECORDS OF DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS CONCERNING A POLICE OFFICER ARE EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE EVEN IF THE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IS REDACTED (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Garcia, affirming the appellate division, over a concurring opinion and two dissenting opinions, determined that the records of New York Police Department disciplinary proceedings concerning a police officer are exempt from disclosure, even if the identifying information in the records is redacted:

The FOIL exemption at issue, Public Officers Law § 87 (2) (a), provides that an agency may deny access to records that “are specifically exempted from disclosure by state or federal statute.” The parties agree that the disciplinary decisions requested by the NYCLU are covered by a state statute: Civil Rights Law § 50-a. * * *

“There can be no question” that Civil Rights Law § 50-a permits court-ordered disclosure “only in the context of an ongoing litigation” … . Absent officer consent, protected personnel records are shielded from disclosure “except when a legitimate need for them has been demonstrated to obtain a court order” based on a “showing that they are actually relevant to an issue in a pending proceeding” … . Here, in the context of the NYCLU’s FOIL request, the requested records are not “relevant and material” to any pending litigation … , and accordingly, they are not disclosable. * * *

This case presents a straightforward application of Civil Rights Law § 50-a and Public Officers Law § 87 (2) (a), which mandate confidentiality and supply no authority to compel redacted disclosure. To the extent the dissent would prefer to revoke civil rights protections afforded to police officers (Civil Rights Law § 50-a), victims of sex crimes (Civil Rights Law § 50-b), medical patients (Public Health Law § 2803-c [3] [f]), or others, those arguments are properly directed to the Legislature. Matter of New York Civ. Liberties Union v New York City Police Dept., 2018 NY Slip Op 08423, CtApp 12-13-18

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW, POLICE OFFICERS

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ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE ENTERPRISE AND HIS INTENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AFFAIRS OF THE ENTERPRISE (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a memorandum decision supplemented with an extensive concurring opinion, determined that the defendant’s conviction of enterprise corruption (Penal Law 460.20) was not supported by legally sufficient evidence:

… [T]he proof elicited at trial was not legally sufficient to establish the elements of defendant’s knowledge of the existence of the subject criminal enterprise and the nature of its affairs or his intent to participate in such affairs … .

On the mens rea element, the People were required to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant, “having knowledge of the existence of a criminal enterprise and the nature of its activities,” and, “being employed by or associated with such enterprise . . . intentionally conduct[ed] or participate[d] in the affairs of an enterprise” … . Consistent with this statutory mens rea requirement, the trial court additionally instructed the jury, without objection, that the People were required to show that defendant had “chosen to be part of the group and to have worked as a member of it or in affiliation with it to achieve its criminal purposes.”

Here, the evidence of defendant’s knowledge of the existence of the criminal enterprise and his intention to participate in its affairs fell short as a matter of law. The evidence of defendant’s participation in the three requisite criminal acts included in the pattern activity alone does not establish defendant’s knowledge of the existence of the criminal enterprise and the nature of its activities. In addition, the critical trial testimony of the People’s cooperating witness demonstrated that defendant was isolated from — rather than employed by or associated with — the enterprise, and that defendant acted independently on his own behalf, with the singular purpose of serving his own interests. People v Jones, 2018 NY Slip Op 08058, CtApp 11-27-18

CRIMINAL LAW (ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE ENTERPRISE AND HIS INTENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AFFAIRS OF THE ENTERPRISE (CT APP))/ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION (EVIDENCE, ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE ENTERPRISE AND HIS INTENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AFFAIRS OF THE ENTERPRISE (CT APP))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF DEFENDANT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE ENTERPRISE AND HIS INTENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AFFAIRS OF THE ENTERPRISE (CT APP))

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THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge DiFiore, over a partial dissent and an extensive dissenting opinion, determined that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) had met its burden of providing assistance to sex offenders in finding suitable housing upon release. Here the petitioner was transferred to a residential treatment facility (RTF) when his sentence was complete because he was unable to find suitable housing as required by the Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA):

Correction Law § 201 (5) requires DOCCS to assist inmates prior to release and under supervision to secure housing. DOCCS has interpreted its obligation under the statute as satisfied when it actively investigates and approves residences that have been identified by inmates and when it provides the inmates with adequate resources to allow them to propose residences for investigation and approval. This interpretation is consistent with the plain language of the statute as well as the larger statutory framework. While the agency is free, in its discretion, to provide additional assistance to inmates in locating SARA-compliant housing — particularly where an inmate is nearing the maximum expiration date or is residing in an RTF with the associated restrictions on the ability to conduct a comprehensive search — there is no statutory basis in Correction Law § 201 (5) for imposing such an obligation.

As to whether DOCCS met its obligation in this particular case, the record demonstrates that petitioner met biweekly with an ORC regarding SARA-compliant housing and also met several times with his parole officer. Petitioner was able to propose 58 residences which DOCCS investigated for SARA-compliance. The agency also affirmatively identified at least two housing options for petitioner in New York City — one was rejected by petitioner on the basis that he could not afford it and the other was the shelter in Manhattan where he was ultimately housed. Certainly, the record reflects that DOCCS provided more than passive assistance, given that it affirmatively contacted other agencies and providers on petitioner’s behalf because of his financial needs. Indeed, petitioner was successfully placed with New York City’s DHS through DOCCS’ efforts, which were adequate to meet its statutory obligation to provide assistance.

Finally, we agree with the Appellate Division that there was insufficient record evidence to establish that DOCCS’ determination to place petitioner at the Woodbourne RTF was irrational or that the conditions of his placement at that facility were in violation of the agency’s statutory or regulatory obligations …  .Matter of Gonzalez v Annucci, 2018 NY Slip Op 08057, CtApp 11-27-18

CRIMINAL LAW (THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP))/CORRECTION LAW (SEX OFFENDERS, HOUSING, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP))/DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES (DOCCS) (THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP))/SEX OFFENDERS (THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP))/CORRECTION LAW (SEX OFFENDERS, HOUSING, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION MET ITS STATUTORY BURDEN TO ASSIST PETITIONER, A SEX OFFENDER, IN FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING UPON RELEASE, APPELLATE DIVISION REVERSED (CT APP))

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EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY TRIAL BECAUSE THE CHARGES WERE B MISDEMEANORS, THE FACT THAT DEPORTATION WAS A POTENTIAL PENALTY ENTITLED DEFENDANT TO A JURY TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE SIXTH AMENDMENT (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, reversing the appellate division, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Stein, over two separate dissenting opinions, determined that the potential penalty of deportation entitles a defendant to a jury trial, even if, as here, the charges are B misdemeanors which are triable without a jury pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law 340.40:

The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees that a defendant will be judged by a jury of peers if charged with a serious crime. Today, as a matter of first impression, we hold that a noncitizen defendant who demonstrates that a charged crime carries the potential penalty of deportation—i.e. removal from the country—is entitled to a jury trial under the Sixth Amendment. * * *

Defendant argues that, although the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial did not automatically attach to the crimes with which he was charged because they are punishable by less than a six-month term of incarceration, he met his burden of establishing that the crimes carry an additional penalty beyond incarceration—namely, deportation—which he contends is a sufficiently severe penalty to rebut the presumption that the crimes are petty for Sixth Amendment purposes. We agree. People v Suazo, 2018 NY Slip Op 08056, CtApp 11-27-18

CRIMINAL LAW (JURY TRIALS, EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY TRIAL BECAUSE THE CHARGES WERE B MISDEMEANORS, THE FACT THAT DEPORTATION WAS A POTENTIAL PENALTY ENTITLED DEFENDANT TO A JURY TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE SIXTH AMENDMENT (CT APP))/JURY TRIALS (CRIMINAL LAW,  EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY TRIAL BECAUSE THE CHARGES WERE B MISDEMEANORS, THE FACT THAT DEPORTATION WAS A POTENTIAL PENALTY ENTITLED DEFENDANT TO A JURY TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE SIXTH AMENDMENT (CT APP))/CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (CRIMINAL LAW, JURY TRIALS, EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY TRIAL BECAUSE THE CHARGES WERE B MISDEMEANORS, THE FACT THAT DEPORTATION WAS A POTENTIAL PENALTY ENTITLED DEFENDANT TO A JURY TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE SIXTH AMENDMENT (CT APP))/IMMIGRATION LAW (CRIMINAL LAW, JURY TRIALS, EVEN THOUGH DEFENDANT WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A JURY TRIAL BECAUSE THE CHARGES WERE B MISDEMEANORS, THE FACT THAT DEPORTATION WAS A POTENTIAL PENALTY ENTITLED DEFENDANT TO A JURY TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE SIXTH AMENDMENT (CT APP))

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REVOCATION OF RACEHORSE TRAINER’S LICENSE BY THE NYS RACING AND WAGERING BOARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED, SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE STANDARD WAS MET (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, reversing the Appellate Division, determined the revocation of petitioner’s racehorse trainer’s license by the NYS Racing and Wagering Board should have been confirmed. The Court of Appeals did not write a decision and adopted the reasoning of the dissenting justice on the Appellate Division:

From the Dissent in the Appellate Division’s Decision at 144 AD3d 1244, 1247-1252:

I agree with the majority that if the dates found on veterinary records … regarding specified forms of veterinary care represent the dates upon which such treatment was administered, those records, along with other evidence, chronicle 1,717 violations by petitioner of rules prohibiting the administration of specified substances to a horse within specified windows prior to a race. The majority, however, finds that a reasonable mind cannot reach the conclusion that those dates convey when treatment occurred. As a result, the majority annuls the entirety of respondent’s determination. In contrast, I find that the inference that respondent made that the dates listed next to specified veterinary care represent the dates that such care was administered to be reasonable and plausible. That conclusion requires confirmance and, accordingly, I respectfully dissent. * * *

Substantial evidence “demands only that a given inference is reasonable and plausible, not necessarily the most probable” … . Where “room for choice” exists in the inferences to be drawn from evidence, this Court has no power to preference its own interpretation over that of the administrative agency tasked with the determination … . This great deference accorded to such an agency determination derives from the Legislature’s decision to task an agency with expertise in the relevant law and regulations—rather than a court of general jurisdiction that lacks such expertise—with the authority to initially resolve legal disputes … . Matter of Pena v New York State Gaming Commn., 2018 NY Slip Op 08060, CtApp 11-27-18

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW (REVOCATION OF RACEHORSE TRAINER’S LICENSE BY THE NYS RACING AND WAGERING BOARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED, SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE STANDARD WAS MET (CT APP))/EVIDENCE (ADMINISTRATIVE LAW, REVOCATION OF RACEHORSE TRAINER’S LICENSE BY THE NYS RACING AND WAGERING BOARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED, SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE STANDARD WAS MET (CT APP))/NYS RACING AND WAGERING BOARD (REVOCATION OF RACEHORSE TRAINER’S LICENSE BY THE NYS RACING AND WAGERING BOARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED, SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE STANDARD WAS MET (CT APP))

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THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, affirming the grant of defendant-Ford’s motion to set aside the verdict in this asbestos case, over two concurring opinions and a dissenting opinion, determined the evidence of a causal connection between the asbestos in brake linings on Ford vehicles and plaintiff’s decedent’s mesothelioma was legally insufficient. Plaintiff’s decedent worked in a garage and was exposed to asbestos-laden dust from new and used brakes, clutches and manifold and engine gaskets:

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, the evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to establish that respondent Ford Motor Company’s conduct was a proximate cause of the decedent’s injuries pursuant to the standards set forth in Parker v Mobil Oil Corp. (7 NY3d 434 [2006]) and Cornell v 360 W. 51st St. Realty, LLC(22 NY3d 762 [2014]). Accordingly, on this particular record, defendant was entitled to judgment as a matter of law under CPLR 4404 (a) … . Matter of New York City Asbestos Litig., 2018 NY Slip Op 08059, CtApp 11-27-18

PRODUCTS LIABILITY (ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))/TOXIC TORTS  (ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))/NEGLIGENCE (TOXIC TORTS, ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))/EMPLOYMENT LAW (TOXIC TORTS, ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))/ASBESTOS (TOXIC TORTS, ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))/MESOTHELIOMA  (TOXIC TORTS, ASBESTOS, THE GRANT OF FORD’S MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE VERDICT IN THIS ASBESTOS CASE AFFIRMED, EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ASBESTOS IN BRAKE LININGS AND PLAINTIFF’S DECEDENT’S MESOTHELIOMA NOT SUPPORTED BY LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CT APP))

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EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, over a two-judge dissent, determined the evidence of serious physical injury in this first degree assault case met the “legally sufficient evidence” standard of appellate review. The victim was shot in the leg and bullet fragments remain in his body:

The victim testified that he can still “feel [the bullet] poking out,” and that he continues to endure the effects “of the metal inside [his] leg.” Even four years after the shooting, the victim noted that the injury still “disturbs” him at times, and that “something is wrong with [his] leg.” The victim stated that, because the bullet “didn’t come out of [his] leg,” his “life” had been “tampered with.” For instance, he can no longer participate in competitive sports, as the injury would present a “very, very, very, very big risk.” The medical expert further testified that there are “many repercussions” of the type of muscle damage that the victim sustained: “Muscle damage can cause long-term injuries to the kidneys from leakage of chemicals from the muscle, toxic to the kidneys, can cause pain and weakness, difficulty walking.”

As the dissent notes, there is certainly record evidence favorable to the defense that, when viewed in isolation, might have presented an issue of fact for the jury. That said, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the People, as our legal sufficiency standard requires, we have no trouble concluding that the jury acted rationally in finding that the victim’s gunshot wound constituted a “serious physical injury” … . People v Garland, 2018 NY Slip Op 07927, CtApp 11-20-18

CRIMINAL LAW (EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))/EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))/APPEALS (CRIMINAL LAW, LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))/SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY (CRIMINAL LAW, ASSAULT, EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))/LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (CRIMINAL LAW, APPEALS, EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))/ASSAULT (EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY MET THE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE APPELLATE REVIEW CRITERIA (CT APP))

COUNTERFEIT CONCERT TICKETS FALL WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE STATUTE PROHIBITING POSSESSION OF A FORGED INSTRUMENT (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Fahey, determined that counterfeit concert tickets fall within the ambit of the statute prohibiting possession of a forged instrument:

Defendant’s argument, a jurisdictional challenge to the indictments against him, amounts to the claim that the otherwise valid statement of the elements of the crime in each count is negated by the specific allegation in the “to wit” phrase that the forged instrument purported to be an event ticket. He insists, in effect, that counterfeit event tickets could never fall within the ambit of the second-degree forgery statute. Defendant’s rationale is that event tickets, the instruments that defendant’s counterfeit documents purported to be, are merely revocable licenses and do not “affect a legal right, interest, obligation or status.” …

Defendant’s premise that event tickets are revocable licenses is true. The case law saying as much is venerable. The purchase of an event admission ticket gives the holder “a revocable license . . . to enter the building in which [the event is held], and to attend the performance” … . An event ticket, in other words, is a permission slip, subject to retraction.

It does not follow, however, that an event ticket does not affect a legal right, i.e., “right created or recognized by law” … , or status, i.e., “legal condition, whether personal or proprietary” … . Indeed, the same decisions on which defendant relies to demonstrate the revocable nature of event tickets also describe the legal rights, albeit limited, that a ticket evidences or otherwise affects. An event ticket, the Court wrote, “is a license, issued by the proprietor . . . as convenient evidence of the right of the holder to admission”… . The Legislature has similarly defined a ticket, in the context of entertainment and the arts generally, as “any evidence of the right of entry to any place of entertainment”… . People v Watts, 2018 NY Slip Op 07926, CtApp 11-20-18

CRIMINAL LAW (FORGED INSTRUMENTS, COUNTERFEIT CONCERT TICKETS FALL WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE STATUTE PROHIBITING POSSESSION OF A FORGED INSTRUMENT (CT APP))/FORGED INSTRUMENTS, POSSESSION OF (COUNTERFEIT CONCERT TICKETS FALL WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE STATUTE PROHIBITING POSSESSION OF A FORGED INSTRUMENT (CT APP))/CONCERT TICKETS (FORGED INSTRUMENTS, COUNTERFEIT CONCERT TICKETS FALL WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE STATUTE PROHIBITING POSSESSION OF A FORGED INSTRUMENT (CT APP))

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