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DEFENDANT’S CONVICTIONS FOR PREDATORY SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST A CHILD AND RAPE AFFIRMED UNDER A WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE ANALYSIS, THE DISSENT, APPLYING A WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE ANALYSIS, ARGUED THE EVIDENCE DID NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, in an extensive, fact-specific decision, over a dissent, affirmed defendant’s predatory sexual assault against a child and rape first degree convictions. The child was four when the alleged incident occurred and 11 at the time of the third trial. There was a hung jury in the first trial and the conviction after the second trial was reversed based upon the judge’s handling of a jury note. The principal physical evidence was sperm found on the child’s underwear. No semen was found on the underwear or on the child. There was no injury to the child’s genitals. The defense theory was that the sperm was transferred to the child’s underwear during a wash. The People’s expert testified such a transfer was possible. The appeal came down to a weight of the evidence analysis. The dissent argued the proof did not rise to the level of beyond a reasonable doubt, noting the absence of semen, the lack of injury, the victim’s poor memory and implausible description of the rape, the victim’s affirmative response to the prosecutor’s mistaken question about a second rape (the prosecutor mistakenly thought the two counts of rape in the indictment alleged two separate incidents), and the fact that defendant had no criminal record and no other allegation of inappropriate sexual conduct had ever been made against him. People v Garrow, 2019 NY Slip Op 03238, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

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STATEMENT MADE BY THE ASSAULT VICTIM 12 TO 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ASSAULT WAS PROPERLY ADMITTED AS AN EXCITED UTTERANCE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined a statement made by the victim of an assault 12 to 15 minutes after the assault was admissible under the excited utterance exception to the hearsay rule:

Defendant contends … that County Court erred in permitting a prosecution witness to testify that the victim told him that “the man he was fighting with was the one that cut him” because that statement did not fall under the excited utterance exception to the rule against hearsay. We reject that contention. The victim made the statement approximately 12 to 15 minutes after the assault and while he was being treated in the prison’s infirmary. Testimony at trial established that, at the time of the statement, the victim appeared to be “emotional,” “mad,” “angry,” and “very agitated.” The statement qualified as an excited utterance inasmuch as that statement was “made shortly after the [assault and] . . . while [the victim] was under the extraordinary stress of [his] injuries” … . People v Farrington, 2019 NY Slip Op 03237, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

POSTREADINESS DELAY BECAUSE A PROSECUTION WITNESS WAS ON VACATION WAS CHARGEABLE TO THE PEOPLE, DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS ON SPEEDY TRIAL GROUNDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing County Court, determined a period of postreadiness delay because a prosecution witness was on vacation was chargeable to the People and the defendant’s speedy trial motion should have been granted:

It is well established that “[t]he unavailability of a prosecution witness may be a sufficient justification for delay . .. , provided that the People attempted with due diligence to make the witness available” … . Additionally, the reason for the witness’s unavailability is relevant to determining whether a delay is justified. Where a witness is unavailable because of medical reasons or military deployment, courts generally have held that the delay is not chargeable to the People … . Where the witness is unavailable because he or she has taken a vacation, however, many courts have charged the time to the People … . That is because “the mere fact that a necessary witness plans to go on a vacation does not relieve [the People] of their speedy trial obligation” … . Here, the People did not establish that they exercised due diligence to secure the witness’s presence on the scheduled trial date, and we conclude that the delay arising from the witness’s unavailability during his vacation is chargeable to the People. People v Harrison, 2019 NY Slip Op 03173, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

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NEW YORK DID NOT HAVE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OVER A CUSTODY MATTER BECAUSE THE CHILD HAD NOT LIVED IN NEW YORK FOR SIX MONTHS AT THE TIME THE PROCEEDINGS WERE COMMENCED, NEW JERSEY STILL HAD JURISDICTION AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THE CHILD HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM NEW JERSEY LESS THAN SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE NEW YORK PROCEEDINGS WERE COMMENCED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice NeMoyer, reversing Family Court, determined that New York did not have subject matter jurisdiction over a child custody proceeding. At the time the proceeding was brought the child had not lived in New York for six months and New Jersey still had jurisdiction. The Fourth Department went through the history of jurisdictional issues in custody matters and through each of the grounds for jurisdiction codified in the Domestic Relations Law:

Instead of claiming home state jurisdiction under Domestic Relations Law § 76 (1) (a), the mother essentially argues that the court had subject matter jurisdiction over this proceeding under the safety net provision of section 76 (1) (d), which confers jurisdiction to make custody determinations when, insofar as relevant here, “no court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria specified in [section 76 (1)] (a).” …

We reject the mother’s reliance on section 76 (1) (d). Under the special UCCJEA [Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act] definition of “home state” applicable to infants under six months old (Domestic Relations Law § 75-a [7]; NJ Stat Ann § 2A:34-54), New Jersey was the child’s “home state” between the date of his birth (February 18, 2015) and the alleged date of his move to New York (July 15, 2015) … . Because the UCCJEA confers continuing jurisdiction on the state that “was the home state of the child within six months before the commencement of the proceeding” if a parent lives in that state without the child (Domestic Relations Law § 76 [1] [a]; NJ Stat Ann § 2A:34-65 [a] [1]), it follows that New Jersey retained continuing jurisdiction of this matter until January 15, 2016, i.e., six months after the child’s alleged move to New York on July 15, 2015 and one week after the instant proceeding was commenced on January 8, 2016 … . Thus, New York lacked jurisdiction under section 76 (1) (d) because New Jersey could have exercised jurisdiction under the criteria of section 76 (1) (a) on the date of this proceeding’s commencement … . Matter of Nemes v Tutino, 2019 NY Slip Op 03236, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHICLE WAS A LESSER INCLUSORY CONCURRENT COUNT OF THE GRAND LARCENY COUNT, CONVICTION ON THE GRAND LARCENY COUNT REQUIRED DISMISSAL OF THE LESSER COUNT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department dismissed the unauthorized use of a vehicle charge as a lesser inclusory concurrent count of the grand larceny charge, which was based upon car theft:

… “[B]ecause it is impossible to commit the crime of grand larceny in the fourth degree under Penal Law § 155.30 (8) without concomitantly committing the crime of unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree under section 165.05 (1)” … , we agree with defendant and the People that count three of the indictment, charging the latter crime, must be dismissed because it is a lesser inclusory concurrent count of count two, charging the former crime … . People v Hickey, 2019 NY Slip Op 03165, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

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DESPITE THE PROVISION IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT REQUIRING THAT ANY MODIFICATION OF SUPPORT APPLY NEW JERSEY LAW, BECAUSE ALL PARTIES RESIDED IN NEW YORK WHEN THE MODIFICATION APPLICATION WAS MADE, NEW YORK LAW CONTROLS (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Family Court, determined that. despite the choice of law provision in the separation agreement, New York law applied to any modification of child support. The family lived in New Jersey when the separation agreement, providing that New Jersey law would control support modification, was executed. But all parties were living in New York when the application for modification was made:

… [W]e conclude that the court had jurisdiction pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act ([UIFSA] Family Ct Act art 5-B) to resolve the issues raised in the mother’s petition and objections … . The UIFSA unequivocally provides that where, as here, the parents reside in this state “and the child does not reside in the issuing state, a tribunal of this state has jurisdiction to enforce and to modify the issuing state’s child support order in a proceeding to register that order” … . Furthermore, we agree with the mother that New York law must be applied to determine the father’s child support obligation here inasmuch as the statute further provides that “[a] tribunal of this state exercising jurisdiction under this section shall apply . . . the procedural and substantive law of this state to the proceeding for enforcement or modification” (Family Ct Act § 580-613 [b]). …

Although courts will generally enforce a choice of law clause ” so long as the chosen law bears a reasonable relationship to the parties or the transaction’ ” … , courts will not enforce such clauses where the chosen law violates ” some fundamental principle of justice, some prevalent conception of good morals, some deep-rooted tradition of the common weal’ ” … . It is long settled that New York has a “strong public policy that obligates a parent to support his or her child” . Under New York law, child support obligations are required to be calculated pursuant to the Child Support Standards Act ([CSSA] Family Ct Act § 413), and ” [t]he duty of a parent to support his or her child shall not be eliminated or diminished by the terms of a separation agreement’ ” … . In addition, whereas … Jersey law provides that child support obligations generally end when a child reaches the age of 19 … , in New York, “[a] parent’s duty to support his or her child until the child reaches the age of 21 years is a matter of fundamental public policy” … . Under the circumstances, and given that the parties do not have a valid agreement to opt out of the CSSA (see generally Domestic Relations Law § 240 [1-b] [h]), we conclude that enforcement of the parties’ choice of law provision would violate those strong New York public policies. Matter of Brooks v Brooks, 2019 NY Slip Op 03164, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

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STATEMENTS MADE AFTER DEFENDANT REQUESTED AN ATTORNEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED, ERROR WAS NOT HARMLESS (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing County Court, determined that defendant’s statements, made after he had asked for an attorney, should have been suppressed. The court further disagreed with the People’s argument that the error was harmless:

We agree with defendant, however, that County Court … erred in denying that part of his omnibus motion seeking to suppress the statements that he made while at the police station after he unequivocally asserted his right to counsel by asking, “May I have an attorney please, a lawyer?” Specifically, we conclude that the court erred in refusing to suppress the statements that defendant made to investigators during his videotaped interrogation … after requesting an attorney and the statements that defendant made on the videotape after the investigators left the interview room … .

We further conclude that, contrary to the People’s assertion, the court’s error is not harmless inasmuch as there is a “reasonable possibility that the error might have contributed to defendant’s conviction” … . The defense theory at trial was that defendant had consensual sexual contact with the victim. During the videotaped interrogation viewed by the jury, however, defendant repeatedly denied having had any sexual contact with the victim. He then admitted that he had lied, but nevertheless continued to deny that sexual contact had occurred. In addition, the prosecutor, on redirect examination of one of the investigators, elicited testimony establishing that, after the investigators left the room, defendant was recorded making an additional comment that contradicted his earlier statements. People v Jackson, 2019 NY Slip Op 03162, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

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JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE, SUA SPONTE, DRAWN AN ADVERSE INFERENCE AGAINST FATHER BASED UPON FATHER’S FAILURE TO CALL HIS GIRLFRIEND AS A WITNESS WITHOUT FIRST INFORMING FATHER AND GIVING FATHER A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN, ERROR DEEMED HARMLESS HOWEVER (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department determined the judge should not have drawn an adverse inference against father for his failure to call his girlfriend as a witness without first informing father and giving father a chance to explain. The error was deemed harmless however:

“A party is entitled to a missing witness charge when the party establishes that an uncalled witness possessing information on a material issue would be expected to provide noncumulative testimony in favor of the opposing party and is under the control of and available to that party” … . “The party seeking a missing witness inference has the initial burden of setting forth the basis for the request as soon as practicable . . . to[, inter alia,] avoid substantial possibilities of surprise” … . Here, in its written decision, “[t]he court sua sponte drew a negative inference based on the [father’s] failure to call [his girlfriend] as a witness, and failed to advise [him] that it intended to do so” … . Thus, the father “lacked the opportunity to explain [his] failure to call [his girlfriend] as a witness, or to discuss whether [his girlfriend] was even available to testify or under [his] control” … . We conclude, however, that the error did not affect the result  … . Matter of Liam M.J. (Cyril M.J.), 2019 NY Slip Op 02207, Fourth Dept 3-22-19

 

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UNEXCUSED FAILURE TO APPEAR AT A SCHEDULED 50-h HEARING REQUIRED DISMISSAL OF THE COMPLAINT (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiffs’ failure to comply with defendants’ demand for a 50-h hearing required dismissal of the complaint. Defendants were sued in their capacities as municipal employees acting within the scope of their employment:

We agree with defendants that Supreme Court erred in denying the motion. “It is well settled that a plaintiff who has not complied with General Municipal Law § 50-h (1) is precluded from maintaining an action against a municipality” … . Here, plaintiffs failed to appear at the scheduled examination due to an apparent disagreement with their attorney. Under the circumstances, plaintiffs had the burden of rescheduling the examination and, because they failed to do so, they were barred by statute from commencing an action … . “Although compliance with General Municipal Law § 50-h (1) may be excused in exceptional circumstances’ “… , there were no such circumstances here. Kluczynski v Zwack, 2019 NY Slip Op 02236, Fourth Dept 3-22-19

 

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FAMILY COURT DID NOT MAKE THE REQUIRED FINDINGS OF FACT IN THIS FAMILY OFFENSE, CUSTODY AND VISITATION CASE, MATTER REMITTED (FOURTH DEPT). ​

The Fourth Department, sending the matter back to Family Court, determined Family Court did not make the requisite findings of fact in this family offense, custody and visitation case:

… [W]e agree with the father that Family Court failed to adequately set forth its essential findings of fact (see CPLR 4213 [b]; Family Ct Act § 165 [a] …). …[T]he court failed to specify the family offense upon which the order of protection was predicated … . … [T]he court failed to “set forth its analysis of those factors that traditionally affect the best interests of a child, namely, the relative fitness of each party, each parent’s ability to provide for the emotional and intellectual development of the child, the ability to provide financially for the child, the quality of the home environment, the length of time and stability of prior custodial arrangements, [and] the need of a child to reside with siblings[, if any] . . . As a result, we are unable to review [the court’s] ultimate factual finding regarding each of those factors and the weight it placed upon each factor relative to the best interests of the child[ ]” … . Under the circumstances of these cases, we decline to exercise our discretion to make the requisite findings … . Matter of Benson v Smith, 2019 NY Slip Op 02221, Fourth Dept 3-22-19

 

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