Opinion 15-215

January 29, 2016

Dear :

         This responds to your inquiry (15-215) asking 1) whether you may provide the local police department with a “monthly report cataloging the number of arrests, parking tickets, traffic tickets and calls for service” involving entities such as state and local police, sheriff’s department, and park police and 2) whether you may provide the village trustees with a monthly report “indicating the number of cases that have been opened during that period and the total number of cases that continue to pend at the end of each month.”

         The Committee has previously advised that it is not proper for a court to prepare documents for the police, prosecutor or news media. However, a court may, subject to all applicable statutory provisions concerning confidential information or sealed records, present a monthly status report to the town or village board at a public board meeting.

         Enclosed, for your convenience, are Opinions 15-30; 14-154; 07-115; 13-19 and 07-185/08-68/08-77 which address this issue.  

                                        Very truly yours, 

                                       George D. Marlow, Assoc. Justice

Appellate Division, First Dept. (Ret.)

Committee Chair

Encls.