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March 7, 2003
For Immediate Release |
Contact: Albert O'Leary
212-298-9190
or Joseph Mancini
212-298-9150
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COURT UPHOLDS PRIVACY RIGHTS
OF PBA MEMBERSHIP MAILING LIST
An attempt by unofficial candidates for elective offices in the
PBA to obtain a confidential mailing list of members has been denied
in a decision by State Supreme Court Justice Harold B. Beeler.
In his decision, Justice Beeler wrote that the PBA is not required
to disclose its mailing list and that PBA President Patrick Lynch’s
offer to make the list available through bonded mailing companies
once candidates become official “strikes a reasonable balance
between protecting the privacy interests of the PBA membership,
assuring an orderly election and allowing official candidates for
office access to the membership to promote their candidacy.”
Justice Beeler also noted “nothing in this ruling prevents
petitioner or any other expected candidate from presently campaigning
by distributing literature at the station houses, conducting rallies
or otherwise communicating with the members of the union.”
PBA President Pat Lynch said: “I was elected to make the
PBA more responsive to the needs of our members, to open up communications
between this union and its members and to ensure that the PBA conducts
its business in an honest and fair manner and I am proud to say
that we have done that. Having been a victim of unfair election
practices when I ran against the old guard in 1999, it is clear
that the only fair way to provide mailing access to our members
is through a protected mailing house when all candidates are declared
and certified under the PBA’s bylaws. This will ensure all
candidates will have fair and equal access while protecting the
critical confidentiality of police officers addresses. This court
decision validates the fairness of that plan.”
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