March 09, 2011

Courts may not revive an expired eligible list

Courts may not revive an expired eligible list
Matter of Leone v City of New York, 2011 NY Slip Op 01701, Appellate Division, First Department

Vincent Leone filed a petition pursuant to CPLR Article 78 seeking to reinstate an expired promotion list for the position of Sergeant in the New York City Police Department. He also asked he court to direct his retroactive promotion to the rank of Sergeant from the “reestablished eligible list.”

The Appellate Division affirmed Supreme Court’s dismissal of Leone’s petition, holding that Leone acknowledged that he may not be promoted from an expired list and the courts do not have the power to extend the life of a civil service list.

Leone had argued that “he was the victim of the Department's "illegal quota" system.” The court, however, said that his claimed “lacks evidentiary support.”

Further, said the Appellate Division, “given, among other things, [Leone’s] extensive disciplinary history,” the appointing authority “had a rational basis for declining to promote him.”

The decision is posted on the Internet at:
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/3dseries/2011/2011_01701.htm
.