Amaury Villalobos v New York City Fire Dept.

Annotate this Case

Download PDF

Amaury Villalobos v New York City Fire Dept. 2013 NY Slip Op 34025(U) May 23, 2013 Supreme Court, Kings County Docket Number: 18865/11 Judge: Larry D. Martin Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various state and local government websites. These include the New York State Unified Court System's E-Courts Service, and the Bronx County Clerk's office. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. [* 1] --..,--.. -. ............ _ .... ~, ~ l Al '" r "' !'I of 1ht r fllll Tam. l'v1 A l 01 lhc Supcex: co.in S•~t 11!N()Vo· Yo.k, 11.<'ld in U\CI (bf ttie i))UllC)' ul K1t12>- at the ('ovrtbou~e. ~\:d lt Civ~ C~u~r• .R0tt>llP cf H~'OOl..:)'I\. t ,!)' Uld S.l•Lt of fl,¢'!'' Yt:itk. • M i.afll. b) 21>1). o:/1JtJ' PRESEl"T; Hon. LARRY D. MARTIN. J.S.C. AMAURY VILLALOBOS, -VS- INDEX No. 18865/11 NEW YORK CITY FIRI". tlll l' ' r .. RESPQ@ENT . The fol~ papUS ~u:mbcttd I CO tt-.ld oo llu~ ftll(ll(ioo Notice or Mott0n · Order to Show Cause :sad Affidavits (Affirl'n:ltloas) /\nne:•ed - - -- Al>S"-'CtinQ /\Jlldavi1 (AOir1n11111,:ir1 - ·· ) Reply AllidavJt (Affinnarion) _ _ _ _ -- - - - - - -- - - -- - - - "' ------- "' ' -------~ 'Si CJ• w Upon an in camera review of the rccordJ ~ubmiood by respondent New Yortc City f'i:i:: ~t ("Fire Dep.1.rtnlcnt'"), in accordnncc \vlth this c;oun·$ Janoory 20. 2012 short fonn order, the Coun find$ lhl\1 ~Villalobos \Mr. Vill\llobo$} "-e:-" properly v.-ithhcld pu."Suant to an cxc:nprion, and~ Mr. Vill.albe>s ts entitled to said rccord:i. Oo Janl.W)' 20, 201 1. Mr. Vilblobos made a !"C.'qUC:st pursuant to the FrcedW:n ufWorm.ation Law ("FOIL") 10 the: Fire Deporuncnt r"' all roeonls it poosess<d in conooction ..;th a fin: ll 695 Sockett Stn:c1, Brooklyn. New YQrk that occurred on February 7, 1980 which killed a u1othcr a.nd her five c hildren. Mr. Vilb!.lobos 11.long ~'1th t~·o other persons v.-erc convicted and scn1.ettccd for the arson and murder ch.ugcs the Pace Po~t-Conviction PrQJCC.l in h1s continued cfrons tu c,sw,bli11h hl$" in.noccJ\Cc, The Fire Depanmcnt rc,pondcd to the FOIL request by lcncrdatcd March>. 2011 which SWCd that to FOIL. Having iecei\'t!'d none of the requested n:~ Mr. V1:l:alobos commenced the instant Article 78 [* leeu.<JO!o ' " ' . . 2] - '" ... procc-cding oocompcJco1upliunc.e \\'illl FOi f •. !nun Ofdc.rd:t.te<l JUJ1u1U)' 20, '20l2, th1$ t:oun direclCd lh.C J ::ire for those records the 1'1rc f)eparlnlcnt ctJ1med \\'ere exempt, the t"ourt.d1nx.1od .s;ciid doct1mcnts be produced ro the Court !Or en /11 cameru i11sp~lJOn. ~ fit< 0cpatUn<"1lt has compli«l with 1hc l"'1UOJ}' 20, 2012 Older. .00 pro>ided the Cowt wi!h oopic;is of the rednctcd c.J ocuJ.~lCl\\."'l !llt"Ul lo ~tr V!llr.lobc;, ai1d copic:JI or the unr«Jtcted d0<;uments. The the lnvcst1 gation o( the subject fin; aod JlfOSrt.'lllion or Mr. Y"illalobos foe the abovcrne-ntlo!:cd crimes. This order and decision udd.re~<>cs l\vo i~~ucc: ·(1) whi:tltcr the Firt: Depatimcnt has produced all the records in its posswK.o in con."lCClinn to f\'i.r. Villi.lobos"s FOIL rtqi.aest; :mJ (2) '4tlcthrr ~- VillaJobos iset:.titJcd co the unrc<l.actcd ri:cords pn;ivided lo ch~ court. To promote open govcm."Y'lcnl wid ptJb)ic acc:ountability, f.OIL imposes!!. bruijd duty on govenvncnt "'mlkeitsrcoords antlab!e iothc p..blic(Go-.Ja'v l'ew Yt>rl:Ciryl'oloco DqH., 89N Y.2d U.7, 274, {t 996] ciL Public Of fl ecn lnQ l.llW § 84). All govemm<:J'lt r«ord.$ are th\!$ prciurupti,,,ely open for pubJie irupcction :i:nd cupying unlets they fall ""1ilhin nric of the cnumem.ted t:x.CJupVon..\ of Poblic Offic.m La.w § ! 7(2) (id. co nstrued, wilh the burden r..:stinlt on the agency co dcmunsttale tho1 the requested 1111ucrial i11deied C (tu..lifies for t:xempt:on·• (Gowld. 89 ~ Y.2d al 275 tiling Matrcr uf Ha.tti>: Y State of N1w l'orJ: lkp1. c/Ma1or l'<hl<irs. 791'.Y.ld 106. 109. 580 N Y.S.2d 715, 588 K£.2d ?SOD Only wt.re !ht material requcS\Cd falls SQ\1~rc:ly w ithin the aiubit or ono t>l lhc~c s1~1utoty cxwnp1iof1.:; n1ay dlsclosu.N be withhekl (G"uld. 89 N.Y.ld at 275 ciri"i Hou,.,. of Hnt v l<Jli>wiu, 47 NY2d 567, 571 (1979J). To mvoke one of lhese Ocpartn\cnt's posso:iSU>n n::l<Jting to Mr. Villalobos'• f<'()lL request. The .UUd.:tVlt of Mauia J. Kugclman. lhe Reoords Access Otlice:r tu the l'ire IJe,>3Jt.UlCLn's Rurc."tu of 1..t:t!,a1 Affairs, avcrrin,a th&t all documents [* 3] respons.ivc to Mr. Villalobos' rcquie:l!t W<tS provided w hi1n ~111tr a d1 hgen; search salisfics the agwcy's obltgadon Ulldcr l'Ublic Officer's'-'"'~ 89(3)(,cc Rmrl<Y•New YwkC11y Police /)<pl, 96 KY1d 873, 87S [200L J). Tw-ning to lhc llOCOrtd 1-.suc, 1he C'.c\i.n t 1nC~ thal Mt. Vil!a! obo~ is eatitlt;d to \he reSpOttsivc ('CC.()rds in wvcdactcd form. 't'hc 1-·1rc- Oc;.i~ent contmJs 1)'°"1 lhc rc:C3C.ted 111formarton 'IA>i\ich pertains to wicn«ses are Cl<empt fr<>ru disclosure pursuo.111 io1>ublic Officer$: l.a\v §§ 87(2Xb> as $1(2)(t). l'C$~ "tivel y as l"Clease ofthe infonnation ~'Ould c:ons.u1utc an w1warrn.ntcd invuionofpc:rso:W ptiV!!C)' and maycodan&er the safety of the v;itnC:Sses. These s~uer itcd .d assertions do not sat~ fy the agency's burden to atticuJ~ a "particularized and spccllic justi!ic~nion'" for 1 dlsctos1ng lhe rcd1lcl.Cd portion of said document& 101 ( ,fee EMnuatwnlnitint< vN<w YO¥kC!ryPolic.Dcpt, 2013 WL l397'3S. •2.4 (2013) fbolding ir..itheNYPO has fioliled to carry ii$ burden show1n~ that thl! Wl1ntss wocld be end:i.. lgt:r:::d by the rc!ease of doc:umcnts " containing bis nsmo and address and outing \hut 1he1<c js CIO comprel1cnsh:c prot- bition on I.he disclosure of j p0licc rccordsoonccm1ng info:truation provided by9.1tncsses};.r« al.lo Ckbv~ iJ./olout»t.. 3 ADJd 36S. 366 (200<1 I fho!ding tllat pctitione.r \Vas allo'vcd a:::cess 10 prosecutor'! i.ntcr... iew notes containing lnronnation abolJI. \\itncss v.·ho lC'll-tificd a1 pctiliQncr's ui:l!)). Additionally, to deny <:CC\. )> to wttnes':S infonnation due to -:l:c possibility lhal futu:n: witnesses to " crime migh! deehnc 10 c.C>opcrah.! whh govemt'1i\:n13l authorities ifthq- know L1ia! their names aod addresses might be oevealcd at tome l:i.tet CXf)Md~ the ''u.'1\lo'!UT'lt\ted i.D\>Q:iOO of privacy.. exemption to a brc®.th lhAL thwarts FOlL's very pul])O$C ($ee /:..'to114ra;iqn lr.itta1tw, 20!3 WI. 1397435 at •4 ). Tbc legislantre st.ruck a OOlancc betv."UJ1 lltc con1pcting interc3ts o r-public 1 icccss o.nd tx•t11on:il privacy (l<I R •s). FOIL docs uot t impOSc • bla."lketprOhibition on lhcdi'IC:losure of wilne$$ testimony 11nd ldc:r:ifyi."t; inform::stion, but instead limit• non-disctos-ure to those ""nt\rt'Uwly CQ1~wcd' cJC.1:n1p.tioruc (td.; sc~ ¢.lso Could, &9 N.Y.'ld a1 275). Moreover. ,,,.beft'. ai here. witnesses n111y possess cxculp11tory iaformauun, the i.rncrcs1 ufjustice may warrnnt disdcnurcoftbeir idcn11t1cs (g~ IUUNmtio.n l.nitial1w. 2013 WI. l l97•3Sa1 '"2·3: Mot/(rojJoimsontrfl.'ew York City Police ~pt , 257 .<\l)2d 343. '349 ( 19991). ; -·- [* 4] """" .......... ..,. • Accordingly. it is ORD.ER.ED and ADJUOGEJ) Uu:I the Ne: ,~· 'lt'orlc City Fi~ Ocpartm~l shall providt' petitioocr Mr. of sc:rvkc or this order with notice of entry. The foregoing COtt-"titutcs the decision and order of the Court HAY 2 3 lG13 f or Chrtui "" 0•'1 ' MG_ rtID_ M..... S...« • • MARTIN J.SC F ILED JUN - 4 2013 KlllGS COOlllY Clm'S Offlct ~ ' Th. C:O.... fu>ds that tho pn •I on !he ....S..:!ed ~ p<OV!ously prooidcd IO Mr. Villalobos wos dad; """ blum:d, n:OO..ing lhc do=n<n._, pnctM:ally illo:gjblc. 4 -=-

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.