Matter of Needleman v Kelly
2011 NY Slip Op 08599 [89 AD3d 1029]
November 22, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
As corrected through Wednesday, January 4th, 2012


In the Matter of Scott Needleman et al., Petitioners,
v
William A. Kelly et al., Respondents.

[*1] Scott Needleman and Dorit Needleman, Wesley Hills, N.Y., petitioners pro se.

Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, New York, N.Y. (Anthony J. Tomari of counsel), for respondent William A. Kelly.

Catalano Gallardo & Petropoulos, LLP, Jericho, N.Y. (Rebecca J. Waldren of counsel), for respondent Adolph H. Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland, Inc.

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 in the nature of mandamus to compel the respondent William A. Kelly, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Rockland County, to "render a determination in the form of an appealable paper" in connection with an underlying action entitled Adolph H. Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland, Inc. v Needleman, pending in the Supreme Court, Rockland County, under index No. 966/11. Motion by the respondent Adolph H. Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland, Inc., to dismiss the petition.

Upon the petition, and the papers filed in support of the motion and the papers filed in opposition thereto, it is

Adjudged that the petition is denied and the proceeding is dismissed, without costs or disbursements; and it is further,

Ordered that the motion is denied as academic in light of the determination of the petition.

The extraordinary remedy of mandamus will lie only to compel the performance of a ministerial act, and only where there exists a clear legal right to the relief sought (see Matter of Legal Aid Socy. of Sullivan County v Scheinman, 53 NY2d 12, 16 [1981]). The petitioners have failed to demonstrate a clear legal right to the relief sought. Rivera, J.P., Dickerson, Eng and Roman, JJ., concur.