Matter of Capital Newspapers Div. of Hearst Corp. v. Burns

In Matter of Capital Newspapers Div. of Hearst Corp. v. Burns, 67 NY2d 562 [1986] the petitioner, a newspaper reporter, sought access to records of the Albany Police Department regarding the number of days and dates on which certain officers were absent from their scheduled employment, based on information that led him to believe that those officers had been abusing their sick leave privileges. The Court ordered disclosure because the records at issue pertained only to one month of dates, were neutral and did not contain any implications capable facially of harassment of the officers in litigation. (Id.) In Capital Newspapersm the petitioners sought/seek limited records which do not give rise to the risks contemplated by the legislature and articulated in the Court of Appeals' decisions.