Walston v. Axelrod

107 Misc. 2d 563, 435 N.Y.S.2d 493, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2903
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 19, 1980
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 107 Misc. 2d 563 (Walston v. Axelrod) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walston v. Axelrod, 107 Misc. 2d 563, 435 N.Y.S.2d 493, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2903 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

[564]*564OPINION OF THE COURT

Arthur D. Spatt, J.

Petitioner seeks an order (1) quashing the administrative subpoena served upon petitioner pursuant to CPLR 2304; (2) staying respondent from proceeding in this matter on the grounds that it is in excess of his jurisdiction and is in direct contravention of the Education Law of the State of New York; (3) for a more definite statement pursuant to subdivision 2 of section 301 of the New York State Administrative Procedure Act; (4) quashing any material heretofore seized and/or photocopied and/or removed from the office and premises of the petitioner herein; and (5) directing respondent to make available to petitioner’s attorney a list of the items seized and/or copied and/or removed from the petitioner’s office.

BACKGROUND AND CONTENTIONS

On or about the 9th day of July, 1980, petitioner was served with a “Notice of Hearing” that charged her with more than 1,000 violations and a subpoena duces tecum that she contends would require her to produce approximately 400 patient record files, including X rays. Petitioner contends that the production of these records is not only a burdensome and impossible task, but would be violating the right of privacy of her patients.

Petitioner is licensed by the Department of Education as a chiropractor and argues that the Health Department is exceeding its jurisdiction by attempting to take away her license which said department has never granted. Petitioner contends that the State is in violation of section 301 of the New York State Administrative Procedure Act, since the charges set forth in the notice of hearing cannot be related to any name, any specific X ray taken, or any specific act alleged to have been improperly performed.

In addition to the other defenses, petitioner asserts that since she has been advised by one of the investigating officers that she may be responsible criminally for certain unspecified actions, the privilege under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution is available to her, and that enforcement of the subpoena would violate that privilege.

[565]*565DETERMINATIONS

I. As to the Motion to Quash the Administrative Subpoena

Both parties agree that there is no chiropractor-patient privilege. However, petitioner contends that an administrative agency cannot subpoena patient records without the patient’s knowledge and without the patient having filed a complaint or in any way authorized anybody to examine, make copies of or use his or her medical records.

Section 6551 (subd 2, par c) of the Education Law provides as follows: “Chiropractors shall retain for a period of three years all X-ray films taken in the course of their practice, together with the records pertaining thereto, and shall make such films and records available to the state commissioner of health or his representative on demand.”

Also, it is required, under 10 NYCRR 90.9, that “[a]ll films and records shall be made available to the State Commissioner of Health or his representative upon demand”. Therefore, it is clear that under both State law and the rules and regulations governing respondent, that the State Commissioner of Health may demand the production of X rays and all records pertaining thereto. Absent a showing that the records requested do not relate to X rays, the petitioner is barred from shielding these documents from administrative scrutiny. Recently, in Matter of Hynes v Doe (NYLJ, July 17, 1980, p 12, col 3), the court dealt with the issue of confidentiality of medical records. This case concerned a statutory provision — section 2803-c of the Public Health Law — that patients have the right to privacy as regards their medical histories. Despite this provision, the court held that, since the patient-physician privilege is a statutory creation, it is subject to waiver and that the State’s interest in protecting the confidentiality of the patient-physician relationship must yield in those cases where a “governing agency, person or body has a lawful right to examine the records.”

Petitioner’s assertion that the subpoena is burdensome is not sufficient to afford her relief. In Matter of Minuteman Research v Lefkowitz (69 Misc 2d 330, 331) the court held that the law provides “that relevancy, and not quantity, is the test of the validity of a subpoena.” The court [566]*566cited as a dramatic example the case of Matter of Borden Co. (75 F Supp 857, 860) where a subpoena was held valid even though “ ‘[compliance still involved delivering 10 truck loads, approximately 50 tons, of files to the Antitrust Division. It was necessary to strengthen the floor of one wing of this building in order to store these, documents. During this time it was necessary for The Borden Company to make copies of many of these books and records in order that it might carry on its business.’ ”

II. As to Petitioner’s Request for a Stay of the Administrative Proceeding on the Ground Respondent Exceeded his J urisdiction

Section 6551 (subd 2, par b) of the Education Law provides in part as follows: “The requirements and limitations with respect to the use of X-ray . by chiropractors shall be enforced by the state commissioner of health and he is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this subdivision.”

It is thus clear that the Commissioner of Health has the jurisdiction to invoke an administrative hearing to ensure enforcement of requirements and limitations with regard to the use of X rays by chiropractors. In Matter of Schuyler v State Univ. of N.Y. at Albany (31 AD2d 273, 274) it was held: “Prohibition is an extraordinary remedy designed to forbid the exercise of unauthorized power, whether it be an act devoid of or in excess of jurisdiction, and, not being favored by courts, it is never issued as a matter of right but only in a sound discretion in clear-cut situations when there is no other remedy.”

In the case at bar, section 6551 (subd 2, par b) of the Education Law provides the jurisdictional basis for -the complained of proceeding. Thus, there is no basis for this court’s exercise of the extraordinary remedy of prohibiting the administrative proceeding.

III. As to Petitioner’s Claim that Enforcement of the Subpoena Violated her Constitutional Privilege Against Self Incrimination

Petitioner asserts that section 6551 (subd 2, par c) of the Education Law, which requires her to produce X-ray [567]*567films and records to the State Commissioner of Health on demand, compels her to violate her privilege against self incrimination. Such contention is without merit.

The Court of Appeals in Matter of Friedman v Hi-Li Manor Home for Adults (42 NY2d 408) dealt with the issue of whether the enforcement of a subpoena would violate the constitutional prohobition against self incrimination. The rule was stated as follows (p 416): “the constitutional guarantee against compulsory self-disclosure, concerned primarily with protection of individual civil liberties, is not to be interpreted to insulate economic or other interests of organizations, incorporated and unincorporated, when to do so would be to frustrate appropriate governmental regulation (United States v White, 322 US 694, 700).”

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Related

Patricia W. Walston, P. C. v. Axelrod
103 A.D.2d 769 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
107 Misc. 2d 563, 435 N.Y.S.2d 493, 1980 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2903, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walston-v-axelrod-nysupct-1980.