Case Name: In the Matter of James Lyons, Petitioner, v. Joseph Grosso, as Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, et al., Respondents
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 2003-04-21
Citations: 304 A.D.2d 759
Docket Number: 
Parties: In the Matter of James Lyons, Petitioner, v Joseph Grosso, as Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, et al., Respondents.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 304
Pages: 759–759

Head Matter:
In the Matter of James Lyons, Petitioner, v Joseph Grosso, as Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, et al., Respondents.
[757 NYS2d 797]

Opinion:
Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 in the nature of mandamus, inter alia, to compel the respondent Joseph Grosso, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Queens County, to reinstate the petitioner's previous counsel, Patrick Christopher, in the case entitled People v Lyons, pending in that court, under Indictment No. 3375/00.
Adjudged that the petition is denied and the proceeding is dismissed, without costs or disbursements.
The extraordinary remedy of mandamus will lie only to compel the performance of a ministerial act and only when 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 petitioner has failed to demonstrate a clear legal right to the relief sought. Santucci, J.P., Smith, Luciano and Cozier, JJ., concur.