A little-known New York statute that allows attorneys to be sued for intentionally deceiving a court has become the latest battleground in Jay-Z's legal fight against Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee. AllHipHop reports that the rapper and business mogul has asked a federal judge in the Southern District of New York for permission to file a third amended complaint, adding a claim under New York Judiciary Law Section 487. The law, which is infrequently invoked, permits civil claims against attorneys accused of deliberately misleading either the court or parties involved in litigation. If a violation is established, damages may be tripled.
The proposed amendment centers on Buzbee and attorney David Fortney's handling of the now-dismissed civil lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of sexual assault. According to the filing, the dispute began after U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres directed Buzbee to provide proof that he was admitted to practice before the Southern District of New York. Jay-Z's attorneys allege Buzbee subsequently learned his application for admission had been denied.
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Discovery Could Become A Major Battleground
Carter's legal team reportedly claims that, after receiving that news, Buzbee sent Fortney to meet with the woman identified in court records as Jane Doe, the plaintiff in the dismissed lawsuit. The amended complaint alleges Fortney falsely told Doe that Jay-Z had threatened her life and that continuing the case had become too dangerous. Jay-Z's attorneys allegedly argue those statements were knowingly false and were made to persuade Doe to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit for reasons unrelated to the merits of her claims.
According to the filing, the alleged objective was to end the litigation before additional scrutiny could be placed on what Carter's legal team describes as a fraudulently filed lawsuit in a court where Buzbee allegedly was not authorized to practice. Jay-Z's attorneys further argue that the dismissal deprived him of the opportunity to fully clear his name through the litigation process while allegations of child sexual assault remained part of the public record. They also contend the lawsuit caused significant reputational, personal, and harm to his businesses.
Judge Dale E. Ho will now decide whether the amended complaint can move forward. If approved, Buzbee is expected to challenge the new claim and could seek its dismissal. Further, the ruling could also determine how quickly the parties move into discovery. According to the filing, proceedings in the Southern District of New York are not automatically paused while dismissal motions are pending. This means Jay-Z's legal team could pursue emails, text messages, internal communications, and deposition testimony related to Buzbee's admission status, the meeting with Jane Doe, and the decision to dismiss the underlying lawsuit.Those materials could also become relevant in the parties' separate legal proceedings in California, where related litigation remains ongoing.
