Civil Procedure Commons^™

Automatic Stays And Governmental Operations: How New York State Protects The Government From The Poor, Jack E. Pace Iii

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This note discusses two New York state procedural rules that endanger the poor by giving special treatment to the defendant whom low income plaintiffs most often face in court. First, the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules ("CPLR") allows the government an automatic stay, pending appeal, of all proceedings to enforce an adverse judgment or order. Second, The New York Court of Appeals' "governmental operations" rule creates a presumption against certifying class actions when the challenged action is a governmental operation. The author argues that these rules unfairly limit the ability of poor people to recover against the government …