Opinion ID: 541068
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Justifiable Reliance on Rotterdam's Affirmative Assumed Duty

Text: 30 Defendants contend that their arrest of Mr. Raucci on June 23 fulfilled any obligation owed to Ms. Raucci, and that DeCarlo's June 28 statements did not create any promises which Ms. Raucci could rely upon. They contend that her actions after June 28 belie any assertion of reliance on DeCarlo's statements, since she permitted Mr. Raucci to visit the children in her presence. 31 The reliance element is critical in establishing the existence of a 'special relationship'  because it provides the essential causative link between the 'special duty' assumed by the municipality and the alleged injury. Cuffy, 69 N.Y.2d at 261, 505 N.E.2d at 940, 513 N.Y.S.2d at 375. Defendants' contention rests on the fact that Ms. Raucci did not change her routine for the seven days between Mr. Raucci's release on bail and the shooting. According to defendants, Ms. Raucci had to avoid Mr. Raucci in order to establish reliance on the Rotterdam Police Department's assurances. The district court found, to the contrary, that the failure of Ms. Raucci to change her routine was a true indicator of her reliance on a perceived promise of police protection. On June 28, DeCarlo told Ms. Raucci that he was still working on the tapes, implying that the case was not closed with the police after Raucci's arrest and release as far as the police were concerned. Obviously, the tapes would have been key evidence in any further proceeding against Mr. Raucci. Ms. Raucci relied on DeCarlo's statement, believed that the police either would arrest Mr. Raucci again or would otherwise protect her, and was lulled ... into a false sense of security by DeCarlo's statement. See Cuffy, 69 N.Y.2d at 261, 505 N.E.2d at 940, 513 N.Y.S.2d at 375. 32 Based on the foregoing, there was sufficient evidence of all of the elements of a special relationship between Ms. Raucci and Rotterdam not to grant judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Further, the court correctly found that the verdict was not against the weight of the evidence. See Smith v. Lightning Bolt Prod., Inc., 861 F.2d 363, 370 (2d Cir.1988).