In re Minicozzi

Petitioner Minicozzi is the respondent in a paternity proceeding now pending in the Family Court, Suffolk County. He makes two applications here, to gain access to certain sealed records of the Surrogate’s Court and of the Department of Public Welfare. Paternity has been denied and it is Minicozzi’s belief that these records may contain information vital to his actual defense of the Family Court proceeding. We can discuss both applications in this single memorandum.

Hillman, the petitioner in Family Court, terminated a proceeding in Surrogate’s Court concerning an adoption of her child before…