Malpractice Claim Timely Filed

In a malpractice claim by a criminal defendant against his former public defender, the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed a decision below that had dismissed the case on statute of limitations grounds. The defendant had pleaded guilty to an offense unaware of the consequence of deportation to Trinidad and Tobago. The court held that the statute commences when post-conviction relief is granted; here, the malpractice claim had been filed in a timely manner. (Mike Frisch)