People v Thayer

Holding The court affirmed the vacatur of the conviction, finding that local counsel’s failure to disclose a private conversation with the judge’s law clerk created an actual conflict of interest that deprived the defendant of effective assistance of counsel. Consequently, the defendant’s waiver of the right to a jury trial was deemed invalid because it was not made with full knowledge of the information possessed by local counsel.

The court’s words

local counsel's loyalties within the matter were clearly divided

2026 NY Slip Op 05444, at the official text

local counsel's unwaived actual conflict of interest deprived defendant of effective representation

2026 NY Slip Op 05444, at the official text

he could not make a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver while lacking the information possessed by local counsel

2026 NY Slip Op 05444, at the official text