Portfolio Media, Inc. v. New York State Off. of Ct. Admin.

2025 NY Slip Op 32102(U)
New York Supreme Court, New York County·Decided June 12, 2025·No. Index No. 159592/2022·Unpublished

Opinion

Portfolio Media, Inc. v New York State Off. of Ct.

Admin.

2025 NY Slip Op 32102(U)

June 12, 2025

Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 159592/2022 Judge: Lisa S. Headley

Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

INDEX NO. T59592/2022

NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/12/2025

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY

PRESENT: HON. LISA S. H EA DEL Y PART 28 Just;ce

------------~H·------~~---------------~--- ---------------- X INDEX NO. 15959212 02 2 PORTFOLIO MEDIA, I NC

Plaintiff,

• V. MOTrON DATE 06/20/2024

NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF COURT MOTION SEQ. NO. 001 ADMINISTRATION,

Defendant. DECISION + ORDER ON MOT,ON

The fof1owing e-filed documents. listed by NYSCEF document number (Moticn 001} 2, 17. 18. 19. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.25.26,27. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. 38. 43, 44, 45,46,47.48.49, SO, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58,59.60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65. 66,67 were res d on th is motion to/for _ _ _ __A_RTICLE 78 { BODY OR OFFICERj

Procedural H i~ton-·

On K ove:nbcr 8. 2022, petitioner, Portfolio l\-lcdia, lnc.} (hereinart~r, "Petitioner") filed this Article 7R pctit ion for j u<l id al review of the Ncw York State O ffi ~e of Comt Ad ministration's (hereinafter "OCA" or ·'Respondent") failure to respond to the Petitioner's. Freedom or· In1ormution Law ("FOIL~') request for documents from the Office of the In'.Sptctor Genera! ("OIG''). Respondent fikd a ~nJ:s.s-motion to dismiss the petition on th~ basis that the Article 7H petition is timc-ham~J, plmmant to CPLR §217(/j. On August 24, 2023, this Court is~ued a Decision and Order, \vhich granted the Re~pon<lent ·~cross-motion to dismiss the proceeding. (See, NYSCEF Doc. No. 3 8). Petitioner f1. led a11 appeal, which was gramcd.

On appeal, the Suprem~ Court Appellate Diviston, First 11~p~rtment issued an Order on March 19, 2024. revtr;(;ing tl,~s Court's Decision and Order and rdnstating the petition. (See, },/}SCEF Doc. 1\-'o. 4 J). On \·fay 13, 2024. the Respondent l"1led an Answer and Opposition to the Petition seeking 1he FOIL n~quests. (Sec, A'Y.\'CEF fJoc ...Vos . ../.] and .:/-4). Petitioner Jile<l a. Reply I'vkmorandum of" Lnv in further support nf' the> Vtri fied Petition. (See, il/YSCF.F Doc. }/o. 65). Then~ on Junj; 18, 2024, the Pciitioner Iikd an Amended ~otiec of Peli Lion. (See, NYSCLF Doc. ,Vo. 66). . Portfolio )Iedia Inc. 's PetiHon for Judkia] H.n•jew of FOIL Request Denials The PctEtioncr is th~ pubhshcr for Lav..-3 60, \vhic h reports on the Nev,,- York St cite Court System. I\-lr. Frank Runyeon ("Mr. Runyeon") is a reponer with Law360. On April 11, 2022, ~1r. Runyeon submitted a FOil, request seeking four categories of documents l:oncemi ng the operations of the Office of the Inspector General ("OICi-"). The request included:

'· l) Any and all reports~ data, tabulations~ Hsting,'I', databases, statistics or rccord.s in their native electronic format (xis, P OF~ emni], etc.) regarding tht proccs:1oing, in,·e~tigation and/or outcome of com plaints by the Office of the Inspector General for New York State Courts since ,lanual")' 1 1 2010 -· including but not lim~tcd to the Oflice

159 5B 2/2022 PORTFOl.l O MEDIA, INC vs. NEW YO R.K STATE OFFICE OF COURT Page 1 of 6 ADMINISTRATION Moti oo No. 001

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/12/2025

of the Managing Inspector General for Bi~ Mutters, Office of the \fanaging Inspector {Jcncral fc)r Fiduciary Appointment~, or other element~ of the 01 Cr\ Otfo.:e. This would irn;h.1<le but is not limited ·10 ~my c(1se-spccific complaint~, investigative reports, and determinations as \vel I a.s any annual re pons, caseload summaries, su bject-martcr•spcci fie, other pcriodil: or any other kind of report or summary. Fol' example, responsive documents could include any annual reports on the number of any category of complainb received, invj;stigated and substantiated or un~ubstilntiated. ("}"()IL rcq Ltcst 1-1- l '"); 2) Any rosters, lists or directories of empJoyees who worked for the Office of Inspector General or \vho were employed by the OI C, since Ja11 i.mry 1, 2010 -- including hut not limil~<l to the Office of the J\·1anaging rn~pec:tor General for Bias \1attcn;) Office or· the Managing. inspector Cienen1l r·or Fiduciar:y Appointments) or the genen1l OIG office. Annual empln:vee directortesfor rhe re!ernnt _veaFs would he fine. ("FOIL request ftT): 3) Any operations or poHcy manuab (~)r the ()Jfo.·e of the Inspector General or its units (Office of the i'vlanaging lnspecwr General for Bias Matters, Office or the \fanaging Inspector (Jcncral f<)r Fidudary Appointments) since January I, 2010. cFOIL request #3"); and 4) Any records related to funding or budget requests from the OIG,s office or its. units {Office of the Maniiging Inspector General for lJ.ias Maners, 0 ni ct' of' the Managing Jnspector General for Fiduciary Appointments) since fanuuI)· 1, 2010 . " er-OIL request #4'') .

(.S'ee, Exhibir A, .\-'YSCAF Doc. ,Vo. 4). 1''0IL Reque;<,;t Timdinc The Ptti1ion~r contends that the Respondent~ OCA, foi le<l to grant, deny, or acknowledge n::ccipt or the April 11, 20221-'0lL request wiltiin five bu:sines~ days as required by Puhlic O_(lfcers !.aw §89(3J(l1j . On May 13. 2022, a month after the [OIL request \\'as made, fl..·1r. Runyeon appealed the constrnctive dj;nl~l of rhe reqllest as permitted under Public Ofjin::rs Law §89i3)(aj (''the Constructi v~ Deni a] of Appear'). Then. Mr. Runyeon alleged that OCA faikd again to grant or deny the Constructive Denial Appeal within ten business days as required by Puhlic ()jfit:ers !,{_m: §89(4)(a). Ilov,:evcr, on May 17, ~021, Rtspondent, OC\. ackno\vlcdged receipt of the April 11, 2022, [OIL re-quest: \Vithout responding to the Constructive Denial Appe'1l ii.led in May 2022. OCA replied that it would prnvid~ a ''status update" on or hd<Jre font 15, 2022. Then, on June 16, 2022, Rcs.pondenl, OCA, denied the Petitioner's FOH. r~quest in its entirety. On June 23, 2022, respondent OCA responded to the Petitioner'~ Con-;tructive Denial Appeal filed in \·fay 2022, and denie<l Lht' appeal as moot based upon 1he correspondence on June 16, '.W22, wherein respondent OCA denied the 1-" OIL rcq ucsL. On June 23. 2022_. I'v1r. Runyc{m then filed an appeal to OC A's .Tune 16, 2022 denial.

Subsequently, on July 8, 2022. OCA granted, in pan, the petitioner's June ~3, 2022, appcaL OCA explained thm a :--:tatus update or a production of record \Vould be made within 20 days or that communication, and then on July 27, 2022, Respondent OCA produced some records. Sub:-;equently, J\1r. Runyc-un made inquiries aboul \vhether additional reccm.l~ v,,:ould be fori:hcoming, to which OC\ responded on August 5, 2022, with a "final rcspon~e" and cited the intrn-ag~ncy e>iception. and for the first time, the privacy ex~~ption. (Sec, Exhi/-Jit I. ,V}SCEF Doc. ,-Vo. I 2).

On s~ptember 4. 2022, Mr. Runyeon filed an appeal orthe August 5, 2022 ••finul response."

On Septemb~r 22, 2022, OCA responded to the appeal: and explained that pursuant to Public Ojjlcers Lau-' f.YR9(-I), Mr.. Runycon was not entitled to additional appeals of OCJ\'s ddennination

159592[2{]22 PORTFOLIO MEDlA, INC vs. NEW YORK STATE OFFICE; OF COURT Page 2 of 6 ADM IN IS TRA TIO N Motion No. 001

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NYSCEF DOC. NO. 71 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/12/2025

of the originaJ April 11, 2022 FOIL request. {See, F.xhibit K, NYSCl.!,'F Dnc. ,Vo. 1-1). Thereafter on t<ovemhcr 8, 202~, the Petitioner. Mr. Runyeon's employer, filed the ins1an1 Article 78 petition seeking an Order directing tbe Re~pon<lent to comply with petitioner·-, FOIL request and to prod uc~ the req ucstcd doc um en ts.

DISCIJSSION

Pu hffr Ojji cers Law § 8 7(2)(g) states:

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Portfolio Media, Inc. v. New York State Off. of Ct. Admin., 2025 NY Slip Op 32102(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2025).

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