SOME RESTRICTIONS ON DISCLOSURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSED BY COUNTY COURT (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing County Court, determined some restrictions on making discovery available to the defense should have been imposed:
Applying the factors set forth in CPL 245.70(4), including the concerns for witness safety and protection, I conclude that the County Court improvidently exercised its discretion in denying the People’s request in its entirety. Under the particular facts and circumstances of this case … the County Court should have directed disclosure of the audio and video recordings of the narcotics sales be made available forthwith to defense counsel only, to be viewed at the prosecutor’s office. Additionally, the County Court should have delayed disclosure of the names, addresses, and contact information of the confidential informant and undercover personnel until the commencement of the trial. People v Zayas, 2020 NY Slip Op 05236, Second Dept 9-30-20