50-a
New York state law on police misconduct / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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New York Civil Rights Law § 50-a was a section of the New York Civil Rights Law, enacted in 1976, which required the concealment of disciplinary records of police officers, firefighters, and prison officers from the public.[1][2][3] Under the former law, any "personnel records" were "confidential and not subject to inspection or review," unless the officer granted permission for their release.[2]
50-a | |
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New York State Legislature | |
Full name | New York Civil Rights Law § 50-a |
Signed into law | 1976 |
Section | 50-a |
Status: Repealed |
The stated rationale for the law was to protect law enforcement officers who served as witnesses for the prosecution in trials.[3] In particular, the law was meant to protect officers from subpoenas seeking misconduct records issued by defense attorneys.[4] Section 50-a was a major source of controversy from its enactment, with civil rights activists blaming it for a lack of police accountability, saying that it served to preserve institutional racism, and calling it one of the strongest police secrecy laws in the country.[5]
On June 12, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed to repeal the law as part of New York State Assembly/Senate Bill A10611/S8496.[6]