In re Lederberg

200 A.D.2d 49, 611 N.Y.S.2d 921, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5480

This text of 200 A.D.2d 49 (In re Lederberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Lederberg, 200 A.D.2d 49, 611 N.Y.S.2d 921, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5480 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

[50]*50OPINION OF THE COURT

Per Curiam.

In this proceeding, the respondent was charged with 11 allegations of professional misconduct. The Special Referee sustained 9 of the 11 charges. The petitioner Grievance Committee moved to confirm the report insofar as it sustained Charges Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten and disaffirm with respect to Charges One and Eleven. The respondent has not submitted any papers in opposition.

Charge One alleged that the respondent obstructed justice, and directed a witness to give false and misleading testimony before a tribunal. On or about December 9, 1988, Jose Rivera and Andrea J. DeJoy were arrested together on Motor Parkway in Islip by the Suffolk County Police Department. Rivera was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, in violation of Penal Law § 220.03, a misdemeanor. DeJoy was charged with loitering in the first degree, in violation of Penal Law § 240.36, and resisting arrest, in violation of Penal Law § 205.30, both misdemeanors. At or about the time of his arrest, Rivera gave a signed, written statement to the police wherein he admitted his possession of the cocaine. Both Rivera and DeJoy retained the respondent as counsel to represent them in their respective criminal matters pending in the First District Court of Suffolk County.

On or about September 19, 1989, the respondent moved on behalf of DeJoy, seeking to: (1) dismiss the information, (2) dismiss the accusatory instrument, and (3) preclude the People from offering any evidence or statements for failure to properly and timely serve notice pursuant to CPL 710.30. By order dated November 13, 1989, Judge Sidney Mitchell granted the motion "without opposition” and dismissed the case against DeJoy. The grounds for dismissal were not specified.

On October 31, 1990, the prosecution of Rivera proceeded to a nonjury trial before the Honorable Armand Araujo. On that day, the respondent called DeJoy to the stand as a witness on behalf of Rivera. After having been placed under oath, and in response to the following questions asked of her by the respondent, DeJoy gave false testimony consisting of the following false answers, which are italicized:

"Q. On December 9, 1988, between 10 and 11 o’clock in the evening, were you in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn, located in Hauppauge?
[51]*51"A. Yes.
"Q. Were you in a vehicle with Jose Rivera?
"A. Yes.
"Q. Did you have anything in your possession at that time?
"A. Yes.
"Q. What did you have?
"A. Cocaine.
"Q. And was this cocaine yours?
"A. Yes.
"Q. Did Hose [sic] Rivera have any cocaine at that time?
"A. No.
"Q. Did he possess any cocaine at that time?
"A. No.
"Q. Did he smoke any, or snort any cocaine at that time?
"A. No.
"Q. Where did you get the cocaine?
"A. From someone in the bar.
"Q. Were you using it in the car or about to use it in the car, when the police came?
"A. About to.
"Q. Did you get in a big fight with the policeman?
"A. Yes, I did.
"Q. Just to make it crystal clear, the cocaine was never— Jose, he never had a packet of it, never threw a packet on the floor, or anything like that?
"A. (No response.)
"Q. This was all yours?
"A. Yes. ”

The aforesaid false testimony given by DeJoy was made and offered at the specific request, urging, solicitation, and command of the respondent, with knowledge of its falsity. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 1-102 (A) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7) (22 NYCRR 1200.3), and Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-102 (A) (4), (6) and (8) (22 NYCRR 1200.33).

Charge Two alleged that the aforesaid false testimony given by DeJoy was made and offered with the respondent’s knowledge as to its falsity. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 1-102 (A) (1), (4), (5), and (7) (22 NYCRR 1200.3), and Code of [52]*52Professional Responsibility DR 7-102 (A) (4), (6), and (8) (22 NYCRR 1200.33).

Charge Three alleged that the respondent knew or should have known that the false testimony given by DeJoy was false and misleading. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 1-102 (A) (1), (5) and (7) (22 NYCRR 1200.3) and Code of. Professional Responsibility DR 7-102 (A) (6) (22 NYCRR 1200.33).

Charge Four alleged that the respondent failed to reveal to the court the fraud perpetrated upon it by DeJoy in the nature and substance of her false testimony. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-102 (B) (2) (22 NYCRR 1200.33).

Charge Five alleged that the respondent failed to promptly call upon DeJoy to rectify the fraud perpetrated upon the court in the nature and substance of her false testimony. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-102 (B) (1) (22 NYCRR 1200.33).

Charge Six alleged that in allowing DeJoy to give the aforestated false testimony, the respondent exposed her to arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. By reason of the foregoing, the respondent has violated Code of Professional Responsibility DR 7-101 (A) (3) (22 NYCRR 1200.32).

Charge Eight alleged that in or about January 1991 the Office of the Suffolk County District Attorney presented evidence to a Grand Jury for the County of Suffolk concerning the conduct which later formed the basis of the respondent’s indictment, as described in Charge Nine. On January 17, 1991, the respondent voluntarily appeared before the Grand Jury and testified under a waiver of immunity. After having been placed under oath, and in response to the following questions, the respondent did give false and misleading testimony consisting of the following false answers, which are italicized:

"Q. Mr. Lederberg, on November second, it was a Friday, did she go to your office in Babylon?
"A. I don’t remember where but if your question is did we have conversation or conversations, the answer is yes. Whether it was in my office or in the hallway or on the telephone, I don’t remember. But I did. She was arrested, I was representing her.
"Q. Did she ever tell you that she lied on the witness stand?
"A. No. I don’t ask that question. I don’t want to know.
[53]*53"Q. But did she come in and tell you that she ever lied on the witness stand?

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Related

§ 487
New York JUD § 487
§ 90
New York JUD § 90
§ 205.30
New York PEN § 205.30
§ 220.03
New York PEN § 220.03
§ 240.36
New York PEN § 240.36

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Bluebook (online)
200 A.D.2d 49, 611 N.Y.S.2d 921, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5480, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lederberg-nyappdiv-1994.