The Legal Aid Society filed a special proceeding against the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (the Justice Center) for unlawfully discriminating against license applicants based on an open adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (ACD), in violation of the New York State Human Rights Law. An ACD is a court order in a criminal case that adjourns and schedules the dismissal of a criminal case; it is not a conviction and does not involve any admission of guilt by the accused.

In February 2021, as part of a settlement agreement, the Justice Center agreed to implement a new policy whereby it would grant licenses during the pendency of an ACD adjournment period for misdemeanor criminal charges.