The Legal Aid Society filed this lawsuit to challenge the NYPD’s practice of unlawfully arresting people for low-level offenses, instead of issuing them appearance tickets as is statutorily required by New York Criminal Procedure Law § 150.20, which mandates that police officers issue appearance tickets to individuals suspected of committing low-level offenses instead of arresting them.

In April 2023, the court denied the City’s motion to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim. In January 2026, the court granted the City's motion for partial summary judgment and denied Legal Aid's motion for summary judgment on plaintiffs' claims for injunctive and declaratory relief. The Legal Aid Society has appealed that decision, and plaintiffs' damages claims remain pending in the trial court.