New York Court of Appeals

A New York Court of Appeals decision in the Steinway Tower case created a precedent by allowing a lawsuit to proceed despite 'sole discretion' contract language, challenging the enforceability of such clauses. The ruling emphasized an implied covenant of good faith, raising concerns among real estate attorneys about increased litigation costs and delays.

New York's highest court ruled that state and city Right to Record Acts do not permit recording police in public station lobbies, contradicting the intent of civil rights advocates who helped draft the laws. The decision, which drew criticism from officials and attorneys, hinges on the absence of explicit language in the legislation addressing recording in police precincts.

New York’s Court of Appeals upheld a state law requiring social media platforms to provide hate speech reporting mechanisms but ruled platforms are not obligated to adopt the state’s definition of 'hateful conduct' or act on reports. The 4-3 decision emphasized empowering users to report hate speech rather than compelling platforms to endorse the state’s stance. The law, enacted in 2022 following a Buffalo supermarket shooting, faced a First Amendment challenge from a libertarian legal scholar and Rumble, a platform linked to President Donald Trump’s Truth Social.

New York's highest court ruled that citizens cannot film in NYPD precinct lobbies, despite state and city laws protecting the recording of public police activity. The decision, which dismissed a lawsuit by YouTuber SeanPaul Reyes, cited privacy concerns for crime victims and the legislative intent of the Right to Record Acts, which were not designed to cover filming inside police stations.

New York’s highest court upheld the mandatory judicial retirement age of 70, rejecting claims that the state’s Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) rendered it unconstitutional. The court emphasized that constitutional provisions cannot invalidate each other without explicit intent, while cautioning that age discrimination claims under the ERA may be enforceable in other contexts.

New York’s mandatory judicial retirement age at 70 remains in effect after the state’s highest court ruled that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) does not nullify the longstanding law. The court dismissed claims by three judges that the ERA’s age protections implicitly repealed the age limit, emphasizing that implied repeal is disfavored and the provisions can coexist.

Judge Madeline Singas, daughter of Greek immigrants, advocates for domestic violence survivors through her career in law, shaping New York's high court. She transitioned from translating for her immigrant community to prosecuting cases and establishing a Special Victims Bureau in Nassau County.

New York's highest court ruled that lenders cannot use 'sole discretion' clauses in real estate contracts to deliberately harm borrowers and seize equity, reversing a lower court decision in a lawsuit involving the Steinway Tower. The 4-3 decision could reshape real estate law by prioritizing equitable outcomes over strict contract wording, with dissenting judges warning of reduced legal predictability.

President Trump has requested New York's Court of Appeals to dismiss the remaining aspects of a civil fraud case against his business empire. The case, led by State Attorney General Letitia James, is described as 'legally unsound' in Trump's 119-page legal filing.