Court of Appeals January Session: Arguments of Interest for January 10, 2017

The Court of Appeals’ January Session continues on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. In the three cases on the argument schedule (the Court’s case summaries can be found here), the Court will address (1) whether the testimony of a witness that the No Trespassing signs on posted property bore the address of the property owner in accordance with …

Court of Appeals January Session: Arguments of Interest for January 5, 2017

The Court of Appeals has three cases on its docket for today's arguments (the Court's case summaries can be found here), addressing whether the State may be apportioned liability in a tort case in the trial level Supreme Court even when it cannot be sued there directly, whether a criminal defendant was denied a fair …

Court of Appeals Holds that Municipality May be Liable for Negligent Failure to Prevent Criminally Reckless Speeding on Its Roadways

In Turturro v City of New York (No. 196) previewed here, the Court of Appeals was asked to determined whether a municipality may be held liable for failing to keep its roads in a reasonably safe condition where it has notice that drivers speed along its roads and the municipality doesn’t take reasonable action to …

Court of Appeals January Session: Arguments of Interest for January 3, 2017

After the December oral argument recess, the Court of Appeals resumes a full argument calendar in January back at Court of Appeals Hall (as always, live video of the Court's arguments can be viewed here).  Of the arguments on the docket for this afternoon (summaries of the arguments can be found here), one is of …

In Extensive Treatment of Proximate Cause, Court of Appeals Reinstates Cross Claims Against Defendant, But Denies Non-Appealing Plaintiff Same Relief

In Hain v Jamison (No. 201) previewed here, the Court of Appeals reversed an order of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department that had dismissed all claims against a farm that owned an escaped calf that the decedent had stopped her car to help out of the middle of the road. The Fourth Department had held …

Court of Appeals Announces Burden Shifting Standard to Show No Substantial Prejudice to Public Corporation When Asking to Serve a Late Notice of Claim

In Matter of Newcomb v Middle Country Cent. Sch. Dist. (No. 198) previewed here, the Court of Appeals reversed an order of the Appellate Division, Second Department that had denied the plaintiff's request to serve a late notice of claim under General Municipal Law § 50-e(5) on the school district, alleging that a sign advertising a …

Court of Appeals Holds that Contract Language Making Formation “Subject to” a Future Act is Insufficient to Create a Condition Precedent

In Stonehill Capital Mgmt., LLC v Bank of the West (No. 191) previewed here, the Court of Appeals held that Bank of the West could not withdraw its acceptance of Stonehill Capital Management's winning bid at an auction of an $8.8 million syndicated loan. The Court rejected the Bank's argument that it was not bound …

On the First Day of Decision Days, the Court of Appeals Gave to Me: Two Certified Questions and Appellate Review After Involuntary Deportation

In December, the Court of Appeals generally forgoes oral argument on new appeals, but still has two days of session called Decision Days.  The Court during these days issues its final decisions from the November session, and tries to wrap up other pending matters before the start of the new year.  During the first release …

Court of Appeals Holds that Deviation from Municipal Contract RFP Evaluation Criteria is Arbitrary and Capricious

In Matter of ACME Bus Corp. v Orange County (No. 182), the Court of Appeals was asked to address whether, during the municipal bidding required for the award of local government contracts under General Municipal Law 104-b, the municipality must adhere to the public bid evaluation criteria set out in the request for proposals ("RFP") …

Court of Appeals Clarifies that Time to Object to Family Court Support Order Does Not Begin to Run Until Counsel is Served

In Matter of Odunbaku v Odunbaku (No. 183), the Court of Appeals was asked to decide whether a represented mother's objections to a Family Court support order were timely made when they were served 41 days after the Family Court clerk mailed the mother a copy of the order directly, but failed to mail a …