Opinion
DOCKET NO. A-3535-15T2
04-18-2018
JACQUELINE NGUYEN, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. JOEL SELTZER, Defendant-Respondent.
Jacqueline Nguyen, appellant pro se. Respondent has not filed a brief.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3. Before Judges Reisner and Mayer. On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County, Docket No. L-1238-13. Jacqueline Nguyen, appellant pro se. Respondent has not filed a brief. PER CURIAM
Plaintiff appeals from an order dated March 30, 2016, dismissing her legal malpractice claim against defendant, her former attorney. After a bench trial, Judge Mark P. Ciarrocca issued an oral opinion on March 30, 2016, finding that defendant was a credible witness, but plaintiff, her husband and her expert witness were not credible. Based on the facts as he found them, the judge concluded that plaintiff did not prove defendant committed malpractice. We affirm for the reasons stated in Judge Ciarrocca's opinion. We add the following comments.
On an appeal from a bench trial, our review is limited. We must defer to the trial judge's findings, as long as they are supported by substantial credible evidence. Rova Farms Resort, Inc. v. Inv'rs Ins. Co., 65 N.J. 474, 484 (1974). We owe special deference to the judge's evaluation of witness credibility. Cesare v. Cesare, 154 N.J. 394, 412 (1998). After reviewing the record, we find no basis to disturb Judge Ciarrocca's decision. Plaintiff's appellate arguments are without sufficient merit to warrant discussion in a written opinion. R. 2:11-3(e)(1)(E).
Affirmed. I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original on file in my office.
CLERK OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION