The Legal Aid Society’s Special Litigation and Law Reform Unit in the Juvenile Rights Practice has achieved a significant victory with class certification granted in N.C. v. City of New York, a civil rights lawsuit challenging the NYPD’s unlawful use, access, and disclosure of sealed juvenile arrest records.

Brought on behalf of three young New Yorkers, the case alleges that the NYPD routinely accesses and shares sealed records of youth ages 7 to 17—despite state law requiring strict sealing of those records following favorable case outcomes or court orders mandating sealing. The unlawful use of these records has informed arrest and detention decisions and been shared with prosecutors and the media, violations that harm all young New Yorkers but disproportionately impact Black and Latinx youth.

The class includes thousands of people who have, or will have, sealed juvenile records. The New York Supreme Court’s decision follows in the footsteps of R.C., et al. v. City of New York, an ongoing lawsuit about the use of sealed adult records. This ruling affirms the enforceability of youth sealing statutes and sets a precedent for future litigation involving government misuse of protected records.

Members of the public with questions about this lawsuit should contact The Legal Aid Society.