Bill > S00410

This bill provides significant protections for jury awards in employment discrimination cases by establishing strict standards for when courts can reduce or overturn such verdicts. Specifically, the bill amends New York civil procedure and executive laws to create a high legal bar for judges to modify jury awards in discrimination cases. Courts will now be prohibited from reducing jury awards as excessive unless they find "exceptional circumstances" that definitively demonstrate the jury was influenced by partiality, prejudice, mistake, or corruption. The bill emphasizes that courts must review evidence in a way that favors sustaining the jury's verdict and prioritize the remedial purpose of anti-discrimination laws. Importantly, judges will not be allowed to rely on previous precedents that used concepts like "material deviation" from reasonable compensation or draw from their personal experiences in prior cases. The legislation applies to employment discrimination cases under state law, including claims by non-employees, and will take effect immediately, applying to both pending cases and new claims filed after its enactment. By creating these stringent standards, the bill aims to strengthen protections for employees alleging discrimination and ensure that jury verdicts in such cases are given substantial weight and respect.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S410