Muhlhahn v. Goldman

• Decision Date: 01 March 2012
• Citation: 939 N.Y.S.2d 420,2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 01562,93 A.D.3d 418
• Parties: Cara MUHLHAHN, Plaintiff–Respondent, v. Andrew GOLDMAN, et al., Defendants–Appellants.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 01562

93 A.D.3d 418

939 N.Y.S.2d 420

Cara MUHLHAHN, Plaintiff–Respondent,

v.Andrew GOLDMAN, et al., Defendants–Appellants.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

March 1, 2012.

Miller Korzenik Sommers LLP, New York (Louise Sommers, David S. Korzenik and Itai Maytal of counsel), for appellants.

Catafago Law Firm, P.C., New York (Jacques Catafago of counsel), for respondent.

TOM, J.P., FRIEDMAN, SWEENY, MOSKOWITZ, DeGRASSE, JJ.

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Joan M. Kenney, J.), entered August 24, 2011, which, in this defamation action, to the extent appealed from denied defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(1) and (7) to the extent of sustaining plaintiff's claims based on 9 of 13 challenged statements, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, and the motion to dismiss plaintiff's claims based on challenged statements 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, granted. The Clerk is directed to enter judgment dismissing the complaint.

Defendant Goldman's affidavit and the attached recordings of his interviews with plaintiff should have been considered on the motion. An affidavit is an appropriate vehicle for authenticating and submitting relevant documentary evidence ( see Suss v. New York Media, Inc., 69 A.D.3d 411, 412, 891 N.Y.S.2d 409 [2010] ), and may provide “connecting link[s]” between the documentary evidence and the challenged statements ( Standard Chartered Bank v. D. Chabbott, Inc., 178 A.D.2d 112, 577 N.Y.S.2d 9 [1991] ). Here, Goldman's affidavit was sufficient to authenticate the recordings of his interviews with plaintiff, since he stated in his affidavit that he was a participant in the recorded conversations and that the recordings were complete and accurate and had not been altered ( see People v. Ely, 68 N.Y.2d 520, 527, 510 N.Y.S.2d 532, 503 N.E.2d 88 [1986]; Lipton v. New York City Tr. Auth., 11 A.D.3d 201, 782 N.Y.S.2d 269 [2004], lv. denied 5 N.Y.3d 707, 801 N.Y.S.2d 800, 835 N.E.2d 660 [2005] ). Contrary to the motion court's finding, Goldman never stated that the recordings were “excerpts” or “highlights” of plaintiff's statements. Instead, he stated that the attached recordings were only some of the many recorded interviews of plaintiff that he had conducted. Moreover, in his reply affidavit, Goldman clarified that his opening affidavit was only meant to authenticate the evidence and aid the court by highlighting relevant statements.

Based on the documentary evidence and Goldman's affidavit, challenged statements 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 12 are true or substantially true, and thus are not actionable ( see e.g. Gondal v. New York City Dept. of Educ., 19 A.D.3d 141, 142, 796 N.Y.S.2d 594 [2005]; Chinese Consol. Benevolent Assn. v. Tsang, 254 A.D.2d 222, 222–223, 679 N.Y.S.2d 54 [1998] ). In addition, statements 4 through 10 either contain non-actionable opinion or are not reasonably susceptible of...