New York Court of Appeals Decisions
The highest appellate court in the State of New York is known as the New York Court of Appeals. Founded in 1847, it is located in Albany. The Court holds jurisdiction over any type of appeal but generally may review only legal rather than factual issues. This focus on legal issues is intended to help the Court develop principles of law that will apply across the state, rather than resolving specific disputes. Its jurisdiction does not hinge on the amount of money at stake in a civil case or the types of parties involved. Most appeals must pass through the Appellate Division before reaching the Court of Appeals, but an appeal may go directly from the trial court to the Court of Appeals in a civil case in which the only disputed issue is the constitutionality of a law.
The New York Court of Appeals has featured some of the most famous legal minds in the nation, including eventual U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo. It has issued several controversial decisions in recent years, including a 2004 ruling that the state death penalty law was unconstitutional and a 2006 ruling that the state constitution does not require the recognition of same-sex marriage. Each decision by the Court of Appeals is binding on lower courts but only persuasive authority for future cases heard by the Court of Appeals.
A candidate to serve on the New York Court of Appeals must have been admitted to practice law for at least five years. Article Six, Section 20 of the New York Constitution provides this requirement. Seven judges serve on the Court, including a Chief Judge. While New York previously used elections to select judges, the state has shifted to a system in which the Governor of New York appoints a judge from a group of candidates. Each judge serves a 14-year term.
- 2024 (33)
- 2023 (86)
- 2022 (85)
- 2021 (69)
- 2020 (82)
- 2019 (109)
- 2018 (134)
- 2017 (138)
- 2016 (203)
- 2015 (182)
- 2014 (201)
- 2013 (213)
- 2012 (225)
- 2011 (233)
- 2010 (387)
- 2009 (308)
- 2008 (207)
- 2007 (175)
- 2006 (177)
- 2005 (184)
- 2004 (172)
- 2003 (50)
- 2002 (172)
- 2001 (145)
- 2000 (160)
- 1999 (189)
- 1998 (169)
- 1997 (197)
- 1996 (223)
- 1995 (278)
- 1994 (188)
- 1993 (160)
- 1992 (62)
- 1991 (84)
- 1990 (100)
- 1989 (87)
- 1988 (95)
- 1987 (100)
- 1986 (122)
- 1985 (160)
- 1984 (183)
- 1983 (152)
- 1982 (168)
- 1981 (167)
- 1980 (146)
- 1979 (151)
- 1978 (113)
- 1977 (143)
- 1976 (119)
- 1975 (105)
- 1974 (120)
- 1973 (79)
- 1972 (100)
- 1971 (109)
- 1970 (79)
- 1969 (87)
- 1968 (82)
- 1967 (79)
- 1966 (86)
- 1965 (98)
- 1964 (55)
- 1963 (88)
- 1962 (64)
- 1961 (76)
- 1960 (71)
- 1959 (89)
- 1958 (57)
- 1957 (49)
- 1956 (51)
- 1955 (64)
- 1954 (65)
- 1953 (76)
- 1952 (56)
- 1951 (53)
- 1950 (53)
- 1949 (1)
- 1938 (2)
- 1937 (1)
- 1936 (2)
- 1935 (1)
- 1934 (1)
- 1931 (1)
- 1930 (1)
- 1928 (4)
- 1927 (3)
- 1921 (2)
- 1920 (3)
- 1917 (1)
- 1916 (2)
- 1898 (1)
- 1891 (1)
- 1866 (1)
Recent Decisions From the New York Court of Appeals
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 02081
Docket Number: 29
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves 21 U.S. citizens and the family of a deceased U.S. citizen who were victims of rocket attacks by the Hizbollah terrorist organization in Israel in 2006. The plaintiffs allege that the Lebanese Canadian…
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 02082
Docket Number: 36
Date: April 18, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 02085
Docket Number: 70 SSM 2
Date: March 21, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01581
Docket Number: 15
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involved two separate lawsuits against the City of New York, where the plaintiffs, Luis Jaime and Adan Orozco, were seeking permission to serve late notices of claim for alleged intentional torts committed by…
Date: March 21, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01582
Docket Number: 28
Justia Opinion Summary: Patrick Labate was charged with a class A misdemeanor, for which he was legally entitled to a trial within 90 days of his indictment. The court's record, however, showed that Labate had not been tried 420 days after his…
Date: March 21, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01583
Docket Number: 5
Justia Opinion Summary: The case pertains to a dispute between the Department of Finance of the City of New York and Brookdale Physicians' Dialysis Associates, Inc. over the revocation of a real property tax exemption. The property in question…
Date: March 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01498
Docket Number: 1
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, Tax Equity Now NY LLC (TENNY), challenged the property-tax system of New York City, arguing that it imposes substantially unequal tax bills on similarly valued properties that bear little…
Date: March 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01496
Docket Number: 17
Justia Opinion Summary: This case revolves around the trial court's discretion to grant leave for amending a complaint under CPLR 3025 (b). The plaintiffs, a group of investors, filed an action against the defendants, the managers of their…
Date: March 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01497
Docket Number: 18
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, Marta Urias and her incapacitated husband, Manuel Urias, were represented by Daniel P. Buttafuoco and his law firm in a medical malpractice suit. The suit, against four defendants, resulted in a $3.7 million…
Date: March 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01499
Docket Number: 21
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved an appeal from the Appellate Division by the prosecution, contesting the vacation of a defendant's conviction of first-degree murder on the grounds that two elements of the crime were not proven by…
Date: March 19, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01500
Docket Number: 22
Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Jason Bohn, was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of a woman with whom he had an abusive relationship. He appealed, contending that there was insufficient evidence to establish that he…
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01330
Docket Number: 20
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a plaintiff, Nafeesa Syeed, an Asian-American woman who sued Bloomberg L.P., alleging employment discrimination. She claimed she was subjected to discrimination due to her sex and race while working for…
Date: March 14, 2024
Citation: 2024 NY Slip Op 01331
Docket Number: 25
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
