Matter of Morrison v Hynes
2011 NY Slip Op 01662 [82 AD3d 772]
March 1, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department
As corrected through Wednesday, May 11, 2011


In the Matter of Scottie Morrison, Appellant,
v
Charles J.Hynes et al., Respondents.

[*1]Scottie Morrison, Auburn, N.Y., appellant pro se.

Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Leonard Joblove and Morgan J.Dennehy of counsel), respondent pro se.

In a proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78, inter alia, in the nature of mandamus to compelthe initiation of a criminal prosecution, the petitioner appeals from a judgment of the SupremeCourt, Kings County (Kramer, J.), dated January 20, 2009, which, in effect, denied the petitionand dismissed the proceeding.

Ordered that the judgment is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

The extraordinary remedy of a writ of mandamus is available in limited circumstances onlyto compel the performance of a purely ministerial act which does not involve the exercise ofofficial discretion or judgment, and only when a clear legal right to the relief sought has beendemonstrated (see Klostermann v Cuomo, 61 NY2d 525, 537 [1984]; Matter ofSalisbury v Lapidez, 277 AD2d 319 [2000]; Matter of Kusky v Town of Islip, 266AD2d 460, 461 [1999]; Matter of Perazzo v Lindsay, 30 AD2d 179 [1968], affd23 NY2d 764 [1968]). Here, the petitioner seeks to compel the performance of acts involvingthe exercise of official discretion or judgment (see Matter of Nieblas v Kings County Dist.Attorney, 209 AD2d 703 [1994]; People ex rel. Doe v Beaudoin, 102 AD2d 359, 365[1984]; see also Sassower v Commission on Jud. Conduct of State of N.Y., 289 AD2d119 [2001]) and, thus, the remedy of mandamus is not available.

The petitioner's remaining contentions are either without merit or not properly before thisCourt.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court properly, in effect, denied the petition and dismissed theproceeding. Prudenti, P.J., Eng, Belen and Sgroi, JJ., concur.


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