Maloney v Lippman

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Maloney v Lippman 2006 NY Slip Op 30643(U) July 19, 2006 Sup Ct, NY County Docket Number: 103119/06 Judge: Jane S. Solomon Republished from New York State Unified Court System's E-Courts Service. Search E-Courts (http://www.nycourts.gov/ecourts) for any additional information on this case. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. [* 1] SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YQAK I PRESENT: - NEW YORK JANE 3"SQ~QWDN COUNTY PART r 5 Index Number : 103119/2006 - MALONEY, JAMES M. INDEX N O . vs LIPPMAN, JONATHAN 6 ,,/S--,,o& MOTION DATE Sequence Number : 001 MOTION SEQ. NO. DISMISS ACTION Notice of Motion/ Order t o S h o w Cause - Affidavits - Exhibits .,. A n s w e r i n g Affidavits - Exhibits Replying Affidavits W I ILY: 0 U Dated: I Check one: Check if y,/q +ob ~~~,~~ $ "-"I: 1 FINAL DISPOSITION fl L'i DO NOT POST g!qk<] $::4;iL,. !I,( LJl,ki J.S. C. NON-FINAL DISPOSITION E REFERENCE 1 ,_7 [* 2] SIIPREML COUK'I' O F THE STATE OF NEW YORK OF N E W Y O J i K , 1.A.S. PART 55 COUNTY x - - _ _ - - - - _ _ _ - I - _ _ _ _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JAMES M . MALONEY, An AtL.orney A t L a w , P l a i n t . i. TI, - FJ I N D L X NO. 103139/06 9a i n F; t.- DECISTON ANL) O R D E R JONATHAN I J P P M A N , i n h i s o f f i c j . a l c a p a c i .t y a s C1-i j. e f R d r n i n i st r a tor of 1-he C:oiirl_.s of the S t a t : e of New Y o r k , De f e n dari t . X l _ _ _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ l _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SOLOMON, J. D e f e n d a n t J o n a t h a n Lippman, s u e d herc i n h i s official c a p a i l i t . y cis C:hi.ef A d m i n i s t r a t o r - of the Courts o ¬ t h e stat.^ o f New Y o r k , m o v e s , p u r s u a n t Lo CPT,R 3 2 1 1 (a) (7), f o r a n order di ::;nlis:.;i.ng t h e arnendcd c o m p l a i , n I : . The amended c o m p l a i n t seeks a dcclarati.on t h a t the Secure P a s s s y s t c m that d e f e n d a n t i n s t i L u t e d i n A p r i l 2002 v i o l a t e s A r t . i c l e 6 , 5 2 8 o f t h e S t a t e C o r i s t i t u t i o n . As t.1iis court h a s e x p l a i . n e d i n p3.a i - n t i f f' s rcl a L e d Article 78 p r o c e c d i r i y , p r i o r - to September 11, 2 0 0 1 , alkorneys could b y p a s s t h e mct:.al d e t c c t o r s a t court e n t r a n c e s b y showing i:.he c o u r t o f f i c e r s ar-1 a t t o r n e y i d e n t i f i c a t i o n c a r d issucd by t h e N C : ~York S t . a t e O E f i c c o f wc'r-e issucd without. c3 Court A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( O C A ) h a c k y r o u n d i r i v e s t i g a L.ion. . Those cards Shortly after September 11, 2001, a l l p e r s o n s , includi ny a t t - o r n c y s , who s o u g h t t o cnt.er a 3 t t . a t e c o u r t h o u s e were required t o pass t h r o u g h t-he m a g r - i e . L o m e t c : r s a t t.he entrance. I I n A p r i l 2002, in o r d e r t . r e d u c e ~ 'I'hc dt.c-.isj.ori in M a t . L e r of Maloney v 0ifir.l.: o f Court Adrriinisl:. r . . a t . i o n , i n d e x n i j r r t b e r 1 1 898/116, i s i s s u e d t h e same d a y t l y j 01 lrhe d c c i s i o n h e r e i n . [* 3] t h e d e l . a y i n c o u r L b u s i - n e s s c a u s e d b y a t t o r n e y s having t o w a i t on 1 i n c and L . o pass t h r - o u g h Secure PC2.s:; p.r:ogram. the m a y n c t o m e t c r s , OCA i n s t i t u t e d t . h c A p e r s o n w i t h d S e c u r e P a s s i s a1.1.owcd t.0 enter: New Yor-k S t a (le c o u r t h o u s e s , w i t h o u t p a s s i n g t . h r o u y h met-a1 d e t e c t o r s , cor: being subject. to a search. Piiss milst A p p 1 i c a n t . s for a Secure corisc:rit t o a b a c k g r o u n d i n v c s t i g a t i o n p e r t a i n i n g t o t.he-i.r cri rninal. hi.stc:)ry, i f any. p l a i . r i t . i . f f , havr: been dc!riied ( 3 A number of ai_torriey:1;, .i.nr:l.uding S e c u r e Pass on t h e hasi:; o f OCA':; i n v e s t . i g at.ion o f t h e i r cri.minal h i s t o r i e s . A r t i c l e 6 , 5 28 provides, i 1 1 court system. (b) of t h e N e w Y o r k State C o n s t i t u t i o n .r:el(?vant part., t h a t 'I 'I [ t ] h E : chi.ef a d m i n i s t r a t o r .- . R r t i - c l e 6, 5 28 (c) p r o v i d e s : T h c c h i e ¬ judge -.. shall establish standards and a d m i n j . s t i - a t i v e p o l i c i e s for general a p p l i c ; - i t i on throughout t h e state, w h i c h shall be s u b m i . t t e d b y Y.he chief j u d g e to t h e c o u r t 01; appeals . , . . Such s k a n d a r d s a n d arlminist:.ra L.ive p o l i cic:; sha 1 1 b e promulgated . a f t e r a p p r o v a l by t h e c o u r t 01 appeals. ' r h u s , (-in t h c o n e hand, .l.he a u t . h o r i t y o f the c h i ef a d m i - n i s t r a t - o r 11 ' .I.S riot b r o a d arid u n l i m i t e d b u t i s subject t o b e i n g e x e r c i s e d in cni-iform.i.ty wj t h st.andard:r; w h i c h h a v e b c e n e s t a b l i i s h e d i a c c o r : d a n c c wi. h c n r i s t ~ . i t . ~ 1 L i o n ap .r e s c : r i p t i o r i " t l M o r q e n t k a u v CooEs, 5 6 N Y 2 c i 2 4 , rl ( M a L.tcL o f 33 [1982]), a n d o n t h e other, " w i t . h r e s p e c k t.o s u p e r v i s i on o r management, a s d i s t i n g u i s h e d from p o l i c y f o r m u l a t . i a n , t h e Constitution places no 1 i m i t a t . i o n s o n the 2 [* 4] q u c s t i o n t - h a t . L h i s case r a i s e s is--whether-?he S e c u r e Pass p r o g r a m f a l l . ; wi.t.lhin Lhe " a d m i n i s t r a t i o n arid 0 p e r a t . i o n of t h e u n i f i e d i n which case, d e f e n d a n t h a d t h e a u t h o r i t y t o court system, i n s t i t.uL.e i t , or c o r i s t i t u t e s a n I ' a d m i n i s t r a L i v e p o l i c [y] f o r qenr:r;il a p p l i c a t i o r i t h r o u g h o u L t h e s t a t c , defendant l a t r : k c > d 'I i n w h i c h case, n e r c s s n r - y a u t h o r i 1-y. the T 1 sippears t o ILlie c o u r t t - h a t , w h i l e thc: i I - i i L i a l . decisiior-1 L . o i n s t i t u t.e s e c u r i t y measure:; a t t h c ! cnt.rarice:; t o the court:; . i r i t h e 1970::3,w h e r e , p r e v i o u s l y , t h c r c were n o n e , may w e l l have h c c n a m a t t c r o f p o l i c y , t h e subsequent development of t h e varioii..; corr1ponent.s o f t h e courts' s e c u r i t y s y s l . e m i s a m a t t e r o f manaqcmc:?rit, r a t h c r thari of pol i c y f o r m u l a t i o n . It is i n d i . s p u t a b l e t h a t d e f i . n j ng t h e d u t i e s o f c o u r t o f f i c e r s , e . q . , to include p e r i m e L . F r c h e c k s before t h e c o u r l h o u s e s o p e n , is ; i o f mnriaqernent. So, matter s i m i l a r l y , a r e t h e protocols f o r sc:rcenincj peopl c! ;s t h e y c n L . e r . i IIere, t.he i s s u e i s somewhat l e s s c l . c a r on1 y h e c a u s e t h e S e c u r e Pass p r o q r a m i s c a r v e d o u t f o r a t - t o r n e y s , a n d because some a t t o r n c y s a r e b a r r e d from p a r t i c i p a t i n g in t h e prugram. Ti. d o e s n o t a p p e a r , however, t h a t a l l o w i n g s u c h a L L u r n e y s (:is have 1101. heen d e t e r m j n e d t o p o s e s ( 2 c u r i t . y r i s k s t o e r i t e r wi t . h o u t a s c ! c : u r i l . y check a t the c o u r t h o u s c (:!ril.rarice, s o as t o rcduc:e t h e del ciy and d i s r u p t i o n o f c o u r t b u s i r i e s s t h a t i s c a u s e d b y l o n q l i n e s a t t h e e n t r a n c e , i s a n y t h i n g more t h a n a rnanagcrial m a t t c ! r . T h i s c o u r t notes t h a t i n T , e v e n s u n v Lipprnan ( 4 NY3c3 280 [2(!05]), a c a s e i n w h i c h the C n i i r t . u p h e l d t h e a u t h o r - i ILy o t t h c : c : h i e f a d m i n i s t r a t o r t o a p p o i nt: a d m i n i s t r a t i v e 3 [* 5] ji ~ d q e st o r c v i e w enhanc:ec-i fee awards t o c o u r t - a p p o i n t e d a t t o r n c y s and o t h c r pcrsnnnel, a d m i . i ~ i . . t r r a . o r ';: the Court r e f e r r e d t o t h e c h i e f 'lrc:qul a L o r y power. " I . at. 289. d P l a i n L . i f f a r g u e s t h a t O C A ' S d e c i s i . o n s t o deny S c c u r e Passes t o c e r t . < l i n a t t o r n e y s are a r b i t r a r y , a n d h e c l a i m s that the decisinri t o dciiy h i m one v i o l a t e d h i s r - i 9 h t . s t o due p r o c e s s a n d tc t h c ? e q u a l . p r o t . e c t i o n 01 the 1 t l w s - Tha L a r g u m e n t , and t h o s e c l a i m s , a r e moot. i n v i e w o f t h i s c o u r t ' s d e c i s i o n i r i p l s i n t i E f ' s r e l a t e d A r t i c l e 78 pr-occeding. Nnnethcless, a n o b s e r v a t i o n appears t o h e i n o r d e r . Whi 1.e t h e court. h o l . d s t . h a t i t was w i t h i n thcl Chi.cf A d m i n i s t - r a t i v e ( J u d g e s c o n s t i . t . u t i (,rial. a u t h o r i t y t o i n s t i t u t e t h e Secure P a s s program, Admi t h e c:c)urI_ n o t e s t h e i.riforrnal n a t u r e o r t h e C h i e f iiistrat i v e Judge's d e l e g a t i o n o f h i s a u t h o r i t y t o a d m i n i s t e r t h e pr-ogr-am ( t h c fr7lcts c o n c c r n i n y OCA'S d e n i a l o f M a l o n e y ' 3 clppl i c a l . . i n n f o r Scc:urc! Pass, a n d h i s e f r u r t s t o c h a l l c r i q e L h a t determitiation, arc set forth i n greater d e t a i l i n t h e A r t i c l e 7 8 dccision) . While s u c h a l a c k of t r a n s p a r e n c y a s t o t h e a d m i n i s I - . r a I _ . i o n of t.he Secure Pass program does n o t r i s e t o a con::; . i t u t i n r i a 1 dim(?iisiori, i L may, t o g e t h e r w i t h OCA'S t acki-low1edged 1 a c k o f o b j e c t i v e s t a n d a r d s t o be a p p l i e d when a n a t t o r n e y w i t h a c r i m - i . r i a l h i s t - o r y a p p l j - e s f o r a S e c u r e P a s s , be a c o n t r i b u t i n g fac:Lor i n m a k i n g a r b i t r a r y d e c i s i o n s i n p a r t i c u l a r c a : e F; . j A c w r d i nqly, it. hereby i s OKnEKLr) t h a t t h e i n o l i o n t o d i s m i . s s i.s g r < l n t e d , a n d t h e 4 [* 6] c-limissed w i t h cos: L s c o m p l a i n t i i: ar.ld di.yburseme1-1t.s t o deferldarlt (:is taxed by thc C l e r k of the C o u r t upon thc subini ssi.on of an appropriate b i l l of costs; a n d it is f u r t h e r O R D E R E D L h a t the C l e r k is d i r e c t e d t.o cntcr judgmc:nt according1 y . D a t e d : July 1 7 , 2006 ENTER :

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