New York Law Watch
Week ending January 24, 2026
2 decision records: 2 meet the substance floor.
Decision dates in this week run from January 21, 2026 to January 22, 2026, from 2 courts.
By court
Appellate Division, First Department
- Prete v JJ Hoyt LLC251 AD3d 162
The court held that an abutting owner’s liability under the ‘special use’ exception is limited to defects caused by or arising from that specific special use, such as using a sidewalk as a driveway. Summary judgment was reversed because the defendant failed to establish that vehicular traffic did not cause the defect, leaving a factual issue for the jury.
Supreme Court, New York County
- Williams v Board of Elections of the State of N.Y.90 Misc 3d 241
The court held that the 2024 Congressional Map for New York’s 11th District violates Article III, Section 4 (c) (1) of the New York State Constitution by unlawfully diluting the votes of Black and Latino voters. The court ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to reconvene and create a new map by February 6, 2026, rather than drawing the lines itself.
Published January 24, 2026. Updated November 14, 2026.