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For February 6, 2026 through February 12, 2026, the following preliminary appeal
statements were filed:
PEOPLE v HOOKS (CHAD) (242 AD3d 463):
APL-2026-00011
1st Dept. App. Div. order of 10/7/25; affirmance; leave to appeal granted by Cannataro,
J., 1/30/26; Crimes—Unlawful Search and Seizure—Whether the license plate frame
on the vehicle in which defendant was an occupant provided probable cause for a
stop of the vehicle for a violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 402 (1)(b); Supreme
Court, New York County, convicted defendant of attempted criminal possession of a
weapon in the second degree and sentenced him, as a second violent felony offender, to a
term of five years; App. Div. affirmed.
For February 13, 2026 through February 19, 2026, the following preliminary appeal
statements were filed:
PEOPLE v HOFFMAN (CHRISTOPHER D.) (244 AD3d 1588):
APL-2026-00016
3rd Dept. App. Div. order of 12/24/25; affirmance; leave to appeal granted by Mackey, J.,
2/3/26; Crimes--Disclosure--Whether County Court erred and abused its discretion
by denying disclosure of materials relating to, and cross-examination regarding, the
victim's prior allegations of sexual abuse; Crimes--Evidence--Whether County
Court erred and abused its discretion by precluding or limiting evidence regarding
the victim's alleged viewing of pornography and alleged use of a vibrator as
irrelevant or precluded by the Rape Shield Law; Crimes--Fair Trial--Whether
defendant was deprived of a fair trial by County Court's statement to the jury that a
delay was caused by the defense's failure to disclose certain materials and County
Court's refusal to provide a curative instruction; Crimes--Right of Confrontation--
Whether County Court erroneously curtailed defendant's cross-examination of the
victim about an alleged prior inconsistent statement and whether defendant
preserved an objection on Confrontation Clause grounds; Crimes--Witnesses--
Whether County Court abused its discretion by precluding three of five proffered
witnesses concerning the victim's bad reputation for truth and veracity; County
Court, Schuyler County, upon a verdict, convicted defendant of the crimes of criminal
sexual act in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child; App. Div.
affirmed.
KOLA v CITY OF NY (—
AD3d —, 2026 NY Slip Op 00194):
APL-2026-00018
1st Dept. App. Div. order of 1/15/26; affirmance; sua sponte examination of whether the
order appealed from finally determines the action within the meaning of the Constitution
and whether a substantial constitutional question is directly involved in the order appealed
from; Estoppel--Collateral Estoppel--Whether the courts below properly held that
collateral estoppel bars plaintiff's claims alleging violations of the New York State
and New York City Human Rights Laws and aiding and abetting under the New
York City Human Rights Laws because the same issues were raised, fully litigated
and necessarily decided in a prior decision denying CPLR article 78 relief; whether
plaintiff's religious discrimination claims failed to state a cause of action because
they did not connect plaintiff's alleged religious beliefs to the requirement for
vaccination; whether there is a private right of action under the Free Exercise
Clause of the New York State Constitution when the alleged wrongs could be
addressed with alternate remedies; Supreme Court, New York County, granted
defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint and denied plaintiff's cross-motion for leave
to amend the complaint; App. Div. affirmed.
PLUMBERS LOCAL v NYC DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS (243 AD3d 456):
APL-2026-00019
1st Dept. App. Div. order of 11/13/25; affirmance; leave to appeal granted by the
Appellate Division, 2/10/26; Parties--Standing--Whether petitioners-plaintiffs, a trade
union made up of welders and its business manager, demonstrated standing to seek
declaratory relief and relief in the nature of mandamus to compel The New York
City Department of Buildings to enforce the gas, plumbing, and welding worker
qualifications as set forth in the New York City Administrative Code and the Fuel
Gas Code, which address gas authorization approvals and gas qualification
applications; Supreme Court, New York County, granted the cross-motion of respondent
agency New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and its acting commissioner to
dismiss the amended petition and complaint seeking relief in the nature of mandamus to
compel DOB to perform its duty (first cause of action), an order annulling prior approvals
of gas pipe authorizations and worker qualification applications as arbitrary and
capricious and affected by an error of law (second cause of action), and a judgment
declaring that the DOB is obligated to enforce gas safety requirements and deny gas
authorization requests where the welders are unqualified or missing qualifications (third
cause of action), and dismissed this hybrid proceeding brought pursuant to CPLR article
78; App. Div. affirmed.