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PLAINTIFFS’ REQUEST FOR SPECIFIED DISCOVERY IN OPPOSITION TO AN “ANTI-SLAPP-LAW” MOTION TO DISMISS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED, CRITERIA EXPLAINED (FIRST DEPT). ​

The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the request for specified discovery made by plaintiffs with respect to the SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public petition and participation) defense should have been granted:

… [I]n opposing defendants’ motion to dismiss … , plaintiffs made an alternative request for specified discovery pursuant to CPLR 3211(g)(3). In essence, a CPLR 3211(g) motion is an accelerated summary judgment motion brought in the context of a SLAPP claim … . The statute makes special provision for discovery upon an application by the party opposing the CPLR 3211(g) motion. Such discovery is tailored to aid a party in summoning “facts essential to justify its opposition” to a SLAPP claim (CPLR 3211[g][3]) and thereby show a substantial basis for their claims … .

As required by the statute, plaintiffs made their request for specified discovery under oath and with a detailed list of the depositions they seek in ascertaining who contacted the FBI, who knew what about the investigation, and when (see CPLR 3311[g][3]). Plaintiffs seek to substantiate their theory that defendants themselves instigated the FBI investigation to provide a predicate for the guardianship proceeding.

Supreme Court incorrectly held that the anti-SLAPP law did not apply, but, if it did, plaintiffs had established a substantial basis for their claims on the existing record. The court thus never reached plaintiffs’ alternative request for discovery. The parties did not brief the issue of specified discovery on the appeal. Under these circumstances, we modify Supreme Court’s denial of the motion to dismiss directed at the SLAPP claims and remand the action for discovery under CPLR 3211(g)(3) prefatory to determination of the dismissal motion. Kohler v West End 84 Units LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 05042, First Dept 9-23-25

Practice Point: CPLR 3311[g][3] provides for discovery in the face of a motion to dismiss pursuant the anti-SLAPP statute. Here the judge’s failure to grant the discovery request required remittal.

 

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VIDEOTAPED INTERVIEWS OF RESPONDENT FATHER’S CHILDREN LED TO CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST FATHER WHICH WERE DISMISSED BECAUSE OF A LACK OF WITNESS COOPERATION; THE VIDEOTAPED INTERVIEWS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE SEALING REQUIREMENT IN THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW AND CAN BE USED IN A FAMILY COURT PROCEEDING ALLEGING SEXUAL ABUSE BY FATHER (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Gonzalez, determined that videotaped interviews respondent father’s children by the Manhattan Child Advocacy Center (CAC) are not subject to sealing under Criminal Procedure Law (CPL)  160.50 and therefore can be presented in a Family Court proceeding brought by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) alleging sexual abuse by father. The related criminal charges against father had been dismissed because of a lack of witness cooperation:

The argument advanced by ACS and the attorney for the children, which analogizes the CAC videos to 911 recordings, is persuasive. This Court has held that 911 calls are not official records within the meaning of CPL 160.50, as the 911 system serves a broader purpose than solely relating to criminal arrests and prosecutions … . Similar to a 911 call, which is handled by the NYPD and may or may not lead to a police response and criminal proceeding, a forensic interview at CAC is an initial information-gathering process, not inherently tied to any arrest or prosecution that may follow.

The recorded interviews of the children, in which they gave their own accounts of the father’s actions to an independent forensic interviewer, did not contain any information about the father’s arrest or discontinued prosecution. Sealing the videotaped interviews would undermine the CAC and multidisciplinary model. Although we recognize that there is a delicate balance between the compelling need to protect the welfare of children and the right of criminal defendants to be free from the stigma of an unsustained prosecution, CPL 160.50 should not be used to override the truth-finding and child-protective missions of the Family Court. Leah W. v Keith W., 2025 NY Slip Op 05041 First Dept 9-23-25

Practice Point: Videotaped interviews of father’s children by CAC led to criminal sex abuse charges against father which were dismissed. The videotaped interviews are not “official records and papers” subject to the sealing requirements in CPL 160.50 and therefore are available for use in related Family Court proceedings against father.

 

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THE DEFENDANT HOSPITAL, CREMATORY AND FUNERAL CHAPEL RELIED IN GOOD FAITH ON THE INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS PROVIDED BY DECEDENT’S DOMESTIC PARTNER; PLAINTIFFS, DECEDENT’S ADULT CHILDREN, RAISED NO OBJECTION TO THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY THE DOMESTIC PARTNER UNTIL A MONTH AFTER DEATH; THE “INFRINGEMENT OF RIGHTS OF SEPULCHER” ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendants’ motion for summary judgment in this “infringement of rights of sepulcher” proceeding should have been granted. The defendant hospital, crematory (Greenwood) and funeral chapel (Ackerman) relied in good faith on information provided by the decedent’s “alleged domestic partner,” Ms. Taddeo. Plaintiffs, the adult children of the decedent, had been informed of decedent’s death but did not communicate with defendants until a month later, after the cremation:

“No cemetery organization, business operating a crematory, natural organic reduction facility, or columbarium, funeral director, undertaker, embalmer or funeral firm shall be held liable for actions taken reasonably and in good faith to carry out the directions of a person who represents that he or she is entitled to control of the disposition of remains, provided that such action is taken only after requesting and receiving written statement that such person . . . is the designated agent of the decedent designated in a will or written instrument executed pursuant to this section (Public Health Law § 4201[7], [a]).”

Furthermore, Ackerman and Greenwood were entitled to rely on cremation authorizations complying with section 4201(7) … . Ms. Taddeo, identifying herself as the decedent’s next of kin, provided a valid cremation authorization to both Ackerman and Greenwood instructing that his remains be cremated.

Neither Ackerman nor Greenwood had reason to question Ms. Taddeo’s status as the decedent’s domestic partner. Under Public Health Law § 4201(7), there is no affirmative duty to investigate absent “incomplete or suspicious documents or other information that would cast doubt upon an individual’s authority to control a decedent’s remains” … . There were no such red flags here. Ms. Taddeo represented herself to defendants as the decedent’s domestic partner, readily provided the decedent’s personal information, including his social security number, his date of birth, and his parents’ names, and there were no objections made by plaintiffs to Ms. Taddeo’s authority at the time of the decedent’s death. Felton v St. Joseph Hosp., 2025 NY Slip Op 05014, First Dept 9-18-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a rare discussion of the “rights of sepulcher.”​

 

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DEFENSE COUNSEL WAS NOT INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO RENEW THE MOTION TO DISMISS THE INDICTMENT WHEN ADDITIONAL GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WAS RELEASED TO THE DEFENSE BECAUSE THE JUDGE HAD REVIEWED THE ENTIRE GRAND JURY MINUTES BEFORE DENYING THE MOTION; TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT ARGUED THE MOTION COURT WOULD HAVE BENEFITTED FROM ANOTHER ARGUMENT BASED ON THE NEWLY RELEASED EVIDENCE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, affirming defendant’s conviction over a two-justice dissent, determined defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to renew the defense motion to dismiss the indictment after additional grand jury testimony was released. The majority concluded there was no new evidence to support a motion to renew because the judge reviewed all the grand jury testimony before denying the motion to dismiss. The dissenters argued there was insufficient evidence defendant shared the intent of the shooter and the motion court would have benefitted from another argument where defense counsel raised the newly released grand jury evidence:

“There can be no denial of effective assistance of counsel arising from counsel’s failure to make a motion or argument that has little or no chance of success” … . Defendant cannot demonstrate that a motion to renew would have had any likelihood of success because defendant had previously moved to dismiss the indictment and the court had denied the motion after conducting an in camera review of the grand jury minutes, which included the witness’s grand jury testimony that was subsequently provided to defendant’s counsel. Thus, the court had already determined that the evidence presented before the grand jury, including the witness’s testimony, established a legally sufficient prima facie case.

Moreover, a motion for renewal “must be based upon additional material facts which existed at the time the prior motion was made, but were not then known to the party seeking leave to renew, and, therefore, not made available to the court” … . Although the grand jury minutes were not available to defendant’s counsel at the time the motion to dismiss was filed, the court conducted a review of the complete grand jury minutes and then denied dismissal of the indictment. Consequently, there were no additional material facts upon which defendant’s counsel could have based a motion to renew, as the witness’s grand jury testimony was already known to the court in its entirety. Therefore, defendant’s counsel’s failure to file such a motion was insufficient to render his performance ineffective under both the state and federal standards … . People v Williams, 2025 NY Slip Op 05016, First Dept 9-18-25

Practice Point: Here the majority determined a motion to renew the motion to dismiss the indictment based on grand jury testimony released after the motion argument had little chance of success because the judge had reviewed all the grand jury evidence before denying the motion. The dissenters argued the judge would have benefitted from a second argument based on the newly released testimony, and therefore defense counsel was ineffective for failing move to renew.

 

THE 2022 AMENDMENT TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW 111 REQUIRING CONSENT TO ADOPTION BY A NONMARITAL FATHER WHO HAS ACKNOWLEDGED PATERNITY APPLIES RETROATIVELY; TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS REVERSED (FIRST DEPT).​

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice O’Neill Levy, reversing Family Court, vacating the termination of respondent father’s parental rights, determined the 2022 amendment of Domestic Relations Law section 111 requiring consent for adoption by a nonmarital parent who has acknowledged paternity applied retroactively to this proceeding:

Domestic Relations Law § 111 was amended, effective December 30, 2022. Pursuant to section 111(1)(e)(iv), and subject to certain criteria, it now requires consent for adoption by any nonmarital parent who has executed an unrevoked acknowledgement of parentage or filed an unrevoked notice of intent to claim parentage of a child. The amendment did away with the necessity for some parents with children in foster care to establish that in addition to having visited or regularly communicated with the child that they made payments to the foster care agency caring for the child. The legislature acknowledged that this requirement resulted in noncompliant or unknowing parents permanently losing their parental rights by being relegated to receiving only notice of the termination proceedings …. This amendment went into effect three years after Family Court’s July 2019 determination that respondent father was solely entitled to notice that the agency was seeking to terminate parental rights to free the child for adoption but before the May 2023 dispositional order was issued. * * *

Generally, a statute “will not be given retroactive construction unless an intention to make it so can be deduced from its wording” … . A legislative directive that a law shall “take effect immediately,” coupled with the remedial nature of the amendment, indicates a “‘sense of urgency'” that should be effectuated through retroactive application … . The purpose of remedial statutes is to correct imperfections in prior law by giving relief to an aggrieved party … , to the extent that they do not impair vested rights or bestow additional rights … . As the express purpose of the amendment at issue was to correct how the law applied to nonmarital parents and was “effective immediately,” we find that it should be given retroactive effect. Matter of C.C. v D.C., 2025 NY Slip Op 05017, First Dept 9-18-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a concise analysis of the criteria for retroactive application of a statutory amendment.

 

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SUPREME COURT PROPERLY CERTIFIED PLAINTIFFS AS A CLASS BASED ON THE FIVE MANDATORY FACTORS IN CPLR SECTIONS 901 AND 902; THE CLASS DEFINITION DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN IMPERMISSIBLE “FAIL SAFE” CLASS UNDER THE FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Mendez, determined Supreme Court properly certified plaintiffs as a class in this wage dispute. Plaintiffs, who acted as “flaggers” at defendants’ construction sites, argued they were wrongly classified as “crossing guards” or “traffic control” and paid at a rate lower than the prevailing wage. The opinion rejected the argument that the class definition constituted an impermissible “fail safe” class under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure:

CPLR 901(a) sets forth five factors required to obtain class certification, which are commonly referred to as, “numerosity, commonality, typicality, adequacy of representation and superiority” … . A class action can be maintained pursuant to CPLR 902 only if the five prerequisite factors stated in CPLR 901(a) are met … . * * *

Defendants assert that the class definition constitutes an impermissible “fail safe” class under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), Rule 23(b). A “fail safe” class exists “when the class itself is defined in a way that precludes membership unless the liability of the defendant is established” … . A “fail safe” class is impermissible because it prevents an adverse judgment being entered against plaintiffs … . Defendants argue that the sole issue in the case is whether or not a particular member was in fact acting as a “flagger” and thus that class membership and liability are inextricably intertwined. …

Supreme Court’s decision amended the definition of the class to avoid an impermissible “fail safe” class under FRCP 23 (b), by excluding reference to “whether public works contracts required the payment of prevailing wages on subject projects” as applying to the ultimate issue of liability. Supreme Court amended the definition of the class to state, “All persons employed by Out-Look Safety LLC at any time since April 16, 2018 through January 28, 2024, who worked as non-union construction flaggers on Restani, Safeway, Triumph, and/or Hawkeye projects requiring the payment of prevailing wages in New York City.” McMillian v Out-Look Safety LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 04963, First Dept 9-11-25

Practice Point: Consult this opinion for insight into the proof required to meet the five factors for class certification under CPLR 901 and 902, as well the nature of an impermissible “fail safe” class definition. “A ‘fail safe’ class exists ‘when the class itself is defined in a way that precludes membership unless the liability of the defendant is established’ …”.

 

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THERE ARE QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE FORFEITURE OF THE VEHICLE USED FOR FOOD VENDING WITHOUT A LICENSE IS “PUNITIVE” IN NATURE AND VIOLATES THE “EXCESSIVE FINES” CLAUSES OF THE NEW YORK STATE AND UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONS; THE FINES IMPOSED FOR THE FOOD VENDING VIOLATION WERE $2600 AND THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE IS $40,000 (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Gesmer, determined the forfeiture of Thomas Jones’ vehicle for food vending without a license violated the Excessive Fines clauses of both the State and Federal Constitutions. The vehicle was worth $40,000, and the fine imposed for vending without a license was $2600:

The City … commenced this proceeding in Supreme Court pursuant to Administrative Code of City of NY §§ 17-321(c) and 17-322 to seize and order forfeiture of Jones’ truck. Administrative Code § 17—321(a) permits both public health officials and the police to enforce food vending codes. Section 17-321(c)(iii) permits police or public health officials to seize a food vending vehicle being used by an unlicensed vendor and any food being offered for sale. If forfeiture proceedings are not commenced, the vendor may be charged with the “reasonable costs for removal and storage payable prior to the release of such food, vehicle or pushcart.” Section 17—322(a) provides for forfeiture of “all property seized” from unlicensed food vendors “[i]n addition to any penalties imposed” pursuant to Section 17-325. Section 17-325(a) provides that vending food without a license is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to three months, or both. Section 17-325(c) provides for additional fines for unlicensed food vendors.

The motion court denied the City’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds that there are questions of fact as to: (1) whether the forfeiture provision at issue is punitive in nature; and (2) whether the value of the property seized is so disproportional to the fines imposed and any harm to society that it violates the excessive fines clauses of the New York and United States Constitutions. We now affirm. City of New York v Jones, 2025 NY Slip Op 04842, First Dept 9-4-25

Practice Point: Consult this opinion for an in-depth discussion of when forfeiture is deemed “punitive” in nature such that forfeiture violates the Excessive Fines clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions.

 

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SUPREME COURT PROPERLY APPLIED THE “PIERCE THE CORPORATE VEIL CRITERIA” AND ASSESSED DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT AGAINST THE DEFENDANT PARENT CORPORATION; THERE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Kapnick, over a comprehensive two-justice dissent, determined Supreme Court had properly applied the “pierce the corporate veil” criteria to assess damages for breach of contract against the defendant parent company:

“Because a decision to pierce the corporate veil in any given instance will necessarily depend on the attendant facts and equities, there are no definitive rules governing the varying circumstances when this power may be exercised” … . However, under the totality of the circumstances presented here, we conclude that plaintiffs met their heavy burden of showing that “[JAE] exercised complete domination of [J.A. Madison] in respect to the transaction attacked[,] [specifically the Consulting Agreement]” … . Thus, we will address the second prong of the test – namely, whether plaintiffs met their burden to show “that such domination was used to commit a fraud or wrong against the plaintiff[s] which resulted in plaintiff[s’] injury” … . * * *

“Wrongdoing in this context does not necessarily require allegations of actual fraud. While fraud certainly satisfies the wrongdoing requirement, other claims of inequity or malfeasance will also suffice … . Allegations that corporate funds were purposefully diverted to make it judgment proof or that a corporation was dissolved without making appropriate reserves for contingent liabilities are sufficient to satisfy the pleading requirement of wrongdoing which is necessary to pierce the corporate veil on an alter-ego theory … .

… The evidence presented at trial showed that JAE used its domination of J.A. Madison to commit a wrong against plaintiffs by stopping payments to plaintiffs under the Consulting Agreement, causing J.A. Madison to become judgment proof, and then by dissolving J.A. Madison after this action had already been commenced, making plaintiffs’ judgment against J.A. Madison nothing more than a pyrrhic victory. The fact that J.A. Madison may have initially been created for a legitimate purpose of operating a store selling Jonathan Adler merchandise and products does not change the analysis. Rich v J.A. Madison, LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 04818, First Dept 8-28-25

Practice Point: Consult this opinion and the dissent for a comprehensive discussion of the criteria for piercing the corporate veil in the context of a breach of contract.

 

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THE CONSENT-SEARCH PROBATION CONDITION WAS NOT WARRANTED IN THIS DWI CASE; THERE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE TWO-JUSTICE DISSENT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, over a comprehensive two-justice dissent, determined the probation condition requiring defendant to consent to a search of his person or home was not warranted in this DWI case. Defendant was found asleep in his car, engine running, with a bottle of alcohol on the seat. He had twice before been convicted of DWI:

… [W]e hold that the consent-search condition imposed by the sentencing court is not reasonably related to defendant’s rehabilitation or necessary to ensure that he will lead a law-abiding life. Initially, it is undisputed that defendant was not armed with a weapon when he committed the crime of which he was convicted. Defendant also has no history of violence or use of weapons and has never been convicted of an offense involving weapons … . * * *

… [T]he circumstances of defendant’s past use of illegal substances do not support a finding that the imposition of the consent-search condition was reasonably necessary to ensure that defendant will lead a law-abiding life or to assist him to do so, particularly where the frequency and magnitude of his use of illegal substances are unknown … . * * *

There are certain limited circumstances where alcohol becomes contraband for the purposes of the consent-search condition, such as when it is open and located in a running vehicle … . However, the consent-search condition is not limited to conform to these specific circumstances. Rather, the condition broadly authorizes warrantless searches of defendant’s person, vehicle and place of abode. This extensive reach into areas of defendant’s life where he may legally possess and consume alcohol is not reasonably related to defendant’s rehabilitation or individually tailored in relation to the offense committed, especially considering that defendant will still be “checked up on” pursuant to the condition permitting unannounced visits from a probation officer at his residence or elsewhere, which he does not challenge … . People v Andrus, 2025 NY Slip Op 04817, First Dept 8-28-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision and dissent for insight into when a consent-search probation condition is warranted and when, as here, it is inappropriate.

 

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THE VIOLATIONS OF EXECUTIVE LAW 63 (12) BASED ON FALSE “STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION” (SFC’S) SUBMITTED TO OBTAIN LOANS FOR TRUMP ENTITIES WERE AFFIRMED ON APPEAL; HOWEVER THE RELATED “DISGORGEMENT” OF NEARLY HALF-A-BILLION DOLLARS WAS DEEMED AN EXCESSIVE FINE AND WAS VACATED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in three decisions issued by a divided court with no majority, determined the defendants violated Executive Law section 63 (12) by submitting deceptive business records to banks, insurance companies, and the NYC Parks Department. The suit alleged, for example, President Donald Trump submitted false “statements of financial condition” (SFC”s) to banks to obtain better loans for Trump entities. Supreme Court had ordered “disgorgement” of nearly half-a-billion dollars. The First Department held the “disgorgement” was an improper, excessive “fine” and vacated it. The fraud-based violations of the Executive Law remain standing, however. All expect the case to go to the Court of Appeals:

Defendants appeal from two decisions (and the resulting judgment) holding that defendants violated Executive Law § 63(12) by repeatedly submitting deceptive business records to banks, insurance companies, and the New York City Parks Department.

Presiding Justice Renwick and I [Justice Moulton] find that Supreme Court correctly found defendants liable. We agree with Supreme Court that the Attorney General acted well within her lawful power in bringing this action, and that she vindicated a public interest in doing so. We also find that Supreme Court properly ruled only on claims that are timely under the applicable statute of limitations. However, we would modify the remedy ordered by Supreme Court. While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

This decision is one of three issued by this Court today. Presiding Justice Renwick and I agree with our colleagues on certain points. Most importantly, we agree with Justice Higgitt, who is joined by Justice Rosado, that the Attorney General is empowered by Executive Law § 63(12) to bring this action. However, our remaining disagreements with our colleagues’ decisions are profound. In sum, Justice Friedman finds that Supreme Court’s rulings are infirm in almost every respect and would hold that the Attorney General had no power to bring this case under Executive Law § 63(12). He would dismiss the complaint outright. Justice Higgitt, while agreeing that the Attorney General had the power to bring this lawsuit, finds that errors made by Supreme Court require a new trial limited to only some of the transactions in question. * * *

Because none of the three decisions garners a majority, Justices Higgitt and Rosado join the decretal of this decision for the sole purpose of ensuring finality, thereby affording the parties a path for appeal to the Court of Appeals. People v Trump, 2025 NY Slip Op 04756, First Dept 8-21-25

Practice Point: Here “disgorgement” of nearly a half billion dollars for fraud-related violations of the Executive Law (stemming from submission of false “statements of financial condition” to obtain loans for Trump entities) was deemed an excessive fine and was vacated by the First Department.

 

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