Judge lifts ban on NYCLU releasing police discipline records

NEW YORK (AP) — Reversing her initial ruling, a federal judge cleared the way Tuesday for a civil rights organization to provide the public with disciplinary records it obtained from New York City’s police watchdog agency. Judge Katherine Polk Failla said the new ruling pertaining to the state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will take effect Wednesday afternoon, giving public safety unions challenging the release of such records 24 hours to appeal. Failla had halted the release of disciplinary records last week after the unions sued to block Mayor Bill de Blasio from taking advantage of a recent change in state law to start posting misconduct complaints on a government website.