An appeals court ruled that a doctor who had been missing before September 11, 2001 died during the World Trade Center attacks. The family of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip, last seen at Century 21 on September 10, had in courts for years trying to do so. Previously, a court-appointed guardian implied the 31-year-old doctor led a dangerous lifestyle, because she, per the Post, "frequented bars (including several bars that cater to women customers) and spent......

The Supreme Court essentially upheld an Appeals Court ruling that said New York City must pay the private education of disabled students. The twist is that the students and their parents don't even need to try to see if the public school programs are adequate for them. Actually, there's another twist: The lawsuit against the city was filed by former Viacom CEO and co-founder of MTV, multimillionaire Tom Freston. Freston's son Gilbert has learning disabilities,......

A 1992 NY State Appeals Court ruling that we'll definitely keep in mind: Women have the right to go topless since men can show their chests whenever they want (like this guy). This equal opportunity decision wasn't something a police officer was cognizant of when he arrested Jill Coccaro, who was walking around topless in August 2005 (she was trying to cool off). Coccaro, also known as Phoenix Feeley, sued in October, citing that she......

The State Appeals Court has found that the NYC Transit Authority - the NYC division of the MTA - is responsible for maintaining subway exits and entrances. The thing is, the MTA doesn't even own the exits and entrances. Still, the court found that the NYCTA is liable for injuries that a woman suffered while falling down steps at the Columbus Circle station back in 1995. Here's an excerpt of the opinion:In the case......

Oh Governor Pataki, you can only screw New York City so much thanks to the State Appeals Court. As if his budget shortchanging the city wasn't bad enough, Pataki didn't comply with a previous court order to increase spending in city schools. Perhaps yesterday's decision by the Appellate Division will actually convince Pataki that it's time to pay up. It's the 2nd time that a court has said that New York State owes New York......

A NY State Appeals Court overturned Andrew Goldstein's murder conviction yesterday, paving the way for a new trial. Goldstein fatally pushed Kendra Webdale in front of a subway in 1999. Goldstein's defense team used an insanity defense, as Goldstein was off his medication for schizophrenia. The outcry over Webdale's death prompted "Kendra's Law," which forces "mentally ill people to comply with treatment"; it was also one of the events that spurred then Mayor Giuliani to......

The New York Court of Appeals ruled that New York State has been shortchanging New York City's ability to provide children "to the point of creating systemic failure in its schools and depriving students of their constitutional right to a decent education" as the Times puts it. Now the State has to figure out how much money to allocate to city schools, which then requires a reassessment of how much surburban schools should get.......