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INABILITY TO IMPOSE THE PROMISED SENTENCE REQUIRED THAT DEFENDANT’S GUILTY PLEA BE VACATED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion to vacate his plea because the promised sentence could not be imposed should have been granted:

… [D]efendant is entitled to vacatur of the plea because his negotiated plea included a promise of shock incarceration, and that promise cannot be honored because shock incarceration is only available for persons convicted of controlled substance or marijuana offenses … . Since the guilty plea was induced by an unfulfilled promise, we vacate the plea in its entirety. The SCI was part and parcel of the negotiated plea. Therefore, we restore defendant to his preplea status and reinstate the indictment … . People v Golden, 2019 NY Slip Op 02027, First Dept 3-19-19

 

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PLAINTIFF, WHO WAS ASSAULTED IN DEFENDANT’S BUILDING, DID NOT RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ON WHETHER THE ASSAILANT WAS AN INTRUDER OR A TENANT, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, over a two-justice dissent, reversing Supreme Court, determined that the NYC Housing Authority’s (NYCHA’s) motion for summary judgment in this third party assault case should have been granted. Plaintiff, who was assaulted in defendant’s building, did not raise a question of fact on whether the assailant was an intruder or a tenant. The defendant would only be liable if, due to negligence, an intruder entered the building and committed the assault:

NYCHA met its prima facie burden by demonstrating that plaintiff failed to raise an issue of fact as to whether the assailant was an intruder, as opposed to a tenant or invitee lawfully on the premises … . In support of its motion, NYCHA submitted plaintiff’s deposition testimony that she was not a resident and did not know any other tenants in the building aside from her two patients. Plaintiff also testified that she did not see her assailant’s face because he kept his face covered with the hood of his sweatshirt and that she did not know if her assailant was a tenant or guest.

We previously have held that the victim’s familiarity with building residents, a history of ongoing criminal activity, and the assailant’s failure to conceal his or her identity tend to demonstrate that the assailant was more likely than not an intruder … . Here, plaintiff’s testimony demonstrates that these important factors were not present. Thus, plaintiff “provided no evidence from which a jury could conclude, without pure speculation, that it was more likely than not that the assailant was an intruder” … . Laniox v City of New York, 2019 NY Slip Op 02026, First Dept 3-19-19

 

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CHILD’S INCOMPLETE TESTIMONY STRICKEN IN A FAMILY COURT ACT 1028 PROCEEDING MAY BE ADMITTED IN A FAMILY COURT ACT 1046 CHILD ABUSE PROCEEDING (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined that a child’s testimony stricken from a Family Court Act 1028 proceeding can be admitted in a Family Court Act 1046 (a)(vi) child abuse proceeding:

On the merits, this appeal raises the issue of whether a child’s testimony stricken from a hearing pursuant to Family Ct Act § 1028 may be considered in connection with a fact-finding hearing regarding abuse allegations, pursuant to Family Ct Act § 1046(a)(vi). We hold that it may be so used. Family Ct Act § 1046(a)(vi) sets forth, in relevant part, that “previous statements made by the child relating to any allegations of abuse or neglect shall be admissible in evidence,” when corroborated, and “[t]he testimony of the child shall not be necessary to make a fact-finding of abuse or neglect.” Here, then 14-year-old Ashley refused to continue with her testimony at the FCA 1028 hearing regarding her allegations of sexual abuse after she already had been cross-examined for three days by respondent’s counsel. According to a letter from Ashley’s therapist submitted to the court, it would be detrimental for the child to return to testify. We agree with the Family Court that it could rely upon Ashley’s incomplete testimony for the purposes of the subsequent fact-finding hearing, subject to a statutory requirement of corroboration. The use of Ashley’s incomplete testimony was in accordance with the legislative intent of Family Ct Act § 1046(a)(vi) to address “the reluctance or inability of victims to testify” … . Matter of Jaylyn Z. (Jesus O.), 2019 NY Slip Op 01846, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS INTERSECTION TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED, PLAINTIFFS NO LONGER NEED TO DEMONSTRATE FREEDOM FROM COMPARATIVE FAULT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, noted the plaintiff in a traffic accident case no longer has to demonstrate freedom from comparative fault to warrant summary judgment:

Plaintiff made a prima facie showing of negligence on the part of defendants by submitting an affidavit stating that as she was driving through the intersection she noticed that defendant driver failed to stop at the stop sign when plaintiff had the right of way (see Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1142[a]). Plaintiff was not required to demonstrate her own freedom from comparative negligence to be entitled to summary judgment as to defendants’ liability … . Garcia v McCrea, 2019 NY Slip Op 01842, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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THE 30-DAY NOTICE PROVISION IN THE MORTGAGE DID NOT PRECLUDE ACCELERATING THE DEBT BY THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE FORECLOSURE COMPLAINT, SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE NULLIFIED THE ACCELERATION (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined Supreme Court should not have nullified the acceleration of the mortgage in this foreclosure action. Because acceleration was optional, the 30-day notice provision in the mortgage did not preclude acceleration by the allegations in the foreclosure complaint:

Supreme Court erred in nullifying plaintiff’s assignor’s acceleration in the prior action based on Section 22 of the mortgage which provides that the lender may accelerate the mortgage only if, inter alia, it has served defendant with a proper 30-day notice of default. Where the acceleration is optional as here, some affirmative action must be taken to evince the note holder’s election to accelerate … . Affirmative action can be in the form of a letter … or the commencement of a foreclosure action … . Plaintiff’s assignor accelerated the mortgage debt by commencing the prior action and stating in its complaint that “plaintiff elects herein to call due the entire amount secured by the mortgage(s).” Capital One, N.A. v Saglimbeni, 2019 NY Slip Op 01837, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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STOP AND ARREST OF PLAINTIFF PURSUANT TO NYC’S STOP AND FRISK POLICY STATED VALID CAUSES OF ACTION PURSUANT TO 42 USC 1983 AGAINST THE POLICE OFFICERS AND THE CITY (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined the allegations describing the stop and arrest of the plaintiff pursuant to NYC’s stop and frisk policy stated causes of action pursuant to 42 USC 1983 against the individual officers and the city:

The complaint, as amplified by plaintiff’s opposition papers, alleges that, on February 13, 2013, plaintiff and a friend, both black men, were driving in a luxury sports car in the Bronx. They were not driving recklessly or violating any traffic laws. Nevertheless, they were pulled over by the police, and five or six officers, including the individual defendants, removed them from the car and searched them and the car. The police found marijuana in the friend’s pocket, but recovered no other contraband, either in the car or on plaintiff’s person. Nevertheless, plaintiff was arrested and held for two days. Charges against him were dismissed in October 2013.

The complaint alleges further that, during this time period, the New York City Police Department employed a “stop and frisk” policy, pursuant to which every year the police stopped hundreds of thousands of overwhelmingly and disproportionately minority persons, including black men, and subjected them to searches, for no reason other than that they were in supposedly high-crime areas. The complaint alleges that the “stop and frisk” policy, rather than some constitutionally cognizable cause, was the reason plaintiff was detained, searched, and arrested. To prove the existence of this policy, plaintiff submitted, among other things, the New York City Bar Association’s 24-page “Report on the NYPD’s Stop-and-Frisk Policy,” dated May 2013, which examined the policy and made recommendations for its reform and the protection of city residents’ civil liberties.

The foregoing states a cause of action under 42 USC § 1983 against the individual defendants … . At this procedural juncture, it is not necessary for plaintiff to allege that any of the individual defendants did any more than participate in his unlawful arrest.

By alleging the existence of an extraconstitutional municipal “stop and frisk” policy, and that the individual defendants unlawfully arrested plaintiff pursuant to that policy, the complaint states a cause of action under 42 USC § 1983 against the City … . Smith v City of New York, 2019 NY Slip Op 01828, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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FAILURE TO PROVIDE SEATBELTS IN A TAXICAB VIOLATES THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW AND IS NEGLIGENCE AS A MATTER OF LAW (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department noted that the failure to provide seatbelts in  taxicab violates the Vehicle and Traffic Law and constitutes negligence:

The failure to provide seatbelts in a taxicab is a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 383, and constitutes negligence as a matter of law … . Where an injured party fails to wear an available seatbelt, such failure would go to damages, not liability … . That is not the case when the vehicle owner fails to provide seatbelts in the first instance … . Grant v AAIJ African Mkt. Corp., 2019 NY Slip Op 01823, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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HANDCUFFING THE DEFENDANT PENDING IDENTIFICATION BY THE UNDERCOVER OFFICER AMOUNTED AN ARREST WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE, MOTION TO SUPPRESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined handcuffing the defendant pending identification by the undercover officer amounted to an arrest without probable cause. Defendant’s motion to suppress the identification and the buy money should have been granted:

The hearing court expressly determined that the police detention of defendant was supported by reasonable suspicion, but that probable cause did not exist until the undercover officer who allegedly bought drugs from defendant made an identification. Because the record provides no reason for the officers to have concluded that defendant, a suspect in a street drug sale, was armed or dangerous, or likely to resist arrest or flee, handcuffing him was inconsistent with an investigatory detention and elevated the intrusion to an arrest not based on probable cause … . Accordingly, the undercover officer’s identification of defendant and the buy money recovered as a result of the unlawful arrest should have been suppressed, and defendant is entitled to a new trial preceded by an independent source hearing … . People v Perez, 2019 NY Slip Op 01822, First Dept 3-14-18

 

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SUPREMACY CLAUSE DOES NOT PRECLUDE DEFAMATION SUIT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR STATEMENTS MADE WHILE A CANDIDATE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Renwick, over a two-justice dissent, determined that the Supremacy Clause did not preclude a New York State civil suit for defamation against President Trump. In response to allegations by the plaintiff that Donald Trump had made unwanted sexual advances, then candidate Trump made statements denying the allegations (made by plaintiff and other women), calling them false and outright lies saying, for example, “all of these liars will be sued after the election is over:”

… [T]he current sitting President attempts to shield himself from consequences for his alleged unofficial misconduct by relying upon the constitutional protection of the Presidency. We reject defendant President Trump’s argument that the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution prevents a New York State court – and every other state court in the country – from exercising its authority under its state constitution. Instead, we find that the Supremacy Clause was never intended to deprive a state court of its authority to decide cases and controversies under the state’s constitution.

… [T]he Supremacy Clause provides that federal law supersedes state law with which it conflicts, but it does not provide that the President himself is immune from state law that does not conflict with federal law. Since there is no federal law conflicting with or displacing this defamation action, the Supremacy Clause does not provide a basis for immunizing the President from state court civil damages actions. Moreover, in the absence of a federal law limiting state court jurisdiction, state and federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction. Thus, it follows that the trial court properly exercised jurisdiction over defendant and properly denied his motion to dismiss. Zervos v Trump, 2019 NY Slip Op 01851, First Dept 3-14-19

 

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NYC CHARTER DID NOT GIVE THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE AUTHORITY FOR A SUMMARY INQUIRY INTO THE ADEQUACY OF SOFTWARE USED TO TRACK STUDENTS WITH INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Oing, over a full-fledged, two-justice, dissenting opinion, reversing Supreme Court, determined that the NYC Charter did give the Public Advocate the power to conduct a summary inquiry into the adequacy of computer software designed to keep track of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) and to seek appropriate funding from Medicaid:

We agree with [Matter of Green v Giuliani (187 Misc 2d at 138)] that [NYC Charter] section 1109’s reach includes not only corruption, but “all forms of official misconduct.”… Arguably, in light of Green, section 1109’s reach continues to evolve over time to include areas not limited to corruption. The question that remains is whether the section 1109 phrase “any alleged violation or neglect of duty” should be broadened so as to bring within its reach all forms of conduct, including acts that amount to administrative inefficiency, deficiency, or mismanagement. We believe it should not, mindful of the admonition uttered over a century ago: “It would be intolerable if . . . all the heads of departments of the city could be haled into court and cross-examined by disaffected taxpayers, or even by some other hostile official, with no result except publicity. It is much better that proceedings of this kind should be confined to the legitimate purposes of the law” … .

Section 1109 is set forth in Chapter 49 of the Charter, entitled “Officers and Employees.” Neither that chapter, nor the Charter itself, defines “violation” or “neglect of duty.” In the absence of a clear definition, either by statute or case law, we are guided by dictionary definitions because they are “useful guideposts” in determining the meaning of a statutory word or phrase … . * * *

… .[W]e find no legal basis to expand section 1109’s reach beyond allegations that clearly fall within the plain meaning of a “violation” or a “neglect of duty…”… . … [P]etitioner’s allegations of administrative mismanagement, namely, the inefficient governmental administration of a computer software … are not sufficient bases to support the instant section 1109 judicial summary inquiry application.  Matter of James v Fariña, 2019 NY Slip Op 01729, First Dept 3-12-19

 

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