Hearst Corp. v. New York State Police

OPINION OF THE COURT

Peters, PJ.

Petitioner Brendan Lyons is a journalist employed as a reporter for the Albany Times Union, a newspaper owned by *34petitioner Hearst Corporation. In September 2011, Lyons submitted a request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law (see Public Officers Law art 6 [hereinafter FOIL]) for all records maintained by respondent pertaining to an alleged hit- and-run committed by Brian Beardsley, an off-duty State Trooper, in the Town of Broadalbin, Fulton County in May 2011. Respondent denied the request, claiming that the records were exempt from disclosure under…