Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYPD Vs. NYCLU Over Spying Files and Arrestees
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 27, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 27, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A judge sided with the city and is allowing police files to remain secret. After the NY Times ran two stories about how the NYPD spied on groups at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention - and some of the groups did not seem to be intent on breaking the law - questions were raised about police conduct and whether the police broke the law (police cannot spy on organizations unless there is some indication of wrongdoing).
In fact, the city's lawyer accused the New York Civil Liberties Union of leaking the police documents to the Time for the articles. From the Times:
[Senior counsel in the city's Law Department Peter] Farrell said the leak was an “egregious violation” of Judge Francis’s order this year to keep the documents secret, adding that the civil liberties group was “improperly litigating this case in the press.” Mr. Farrell accused The Times of misrepresenting what the documents said, but he offered no specifics.
Christopher Dunn, the associate legal director of the civil liberties union, denied that his group had leaked the papers, saying that The Times’s copies could have come from any number of sources, including the Police Department.
Judge Francis said that while he suspected his confidentiality order had been violated, it was not clear who had violated it. He said contempt charges might be warranted if the leaker could be found.
While the NYCLU is contemplating more lawsuits if evidence shows that the police illegally spied on groups, the group accused the NYPD of other violations. The NYCLU says that while the law states that arrestees should be arraigned within 24 hours, many are held up to 50 hours. The NYCLU is asking the City Council to pass a "Charge or Release" bill. You can read more about the bill here, but we thought this chart of arrests-to-arraignment times in the Bronx was telling.
Tagged
breaking
bronx
Christopher Dunn
city
City Council
convention
law
law department
lawsuits
new york
new york civil liberties union
News: NYC
ny times
nypd
police
police department
republican
republican national convention
the city
The NYCLU
The Police
the times
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
Nearly 1 million in the city risk losing benefits as a result of new federal restrictions.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .