Case Name: Joseph Shapiro, Respondent, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1945-04-12
Citations: 294 N.Y. 743
Docket Number: 
Parties: Joseph Shapiro, Respondent, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 294
Pages: 743–744

Head Matter:
Joseph Shapiro, Respondent, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Appellant.
Argued February 20, 1945;
decided April 12, 1945.
Eugene T. O’Neill and Leo D. Fitzgerald for appellant.
Sidney J. Loeb for respondent.

Opinion:
Order affirmed, with costs. Question certified answered in the negative. No opinion.
Concur: Lehman, Ch. J., Loughran, Desmond and Thacher, JJ. Lewis and Conway, JJ., dissent on the ground that the plaintiff who was serving a life sentence was " civilly dead " and did not have the legal capacity to sue. (Penal Law, § 511; Matter of Pallas, 291 N. Y. 692; Matter of Lindewall, 287 N. Y. 347; Green v. State of New York, 278 N. Y. 15; Avery v. Everett, 110 N. Y. 317.) Taking no part: Dye, J.