People v. Doe
Defendant, charged with assault and harassment after biting a security officer at an HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) location, filed a motion to seal court papers and to prevent the complainant from referencing defendant's alleged HIV status, citing Public Health Law § 2780 et seq. The defendant argued that the security officer, as an agent of HASA, was bound by confidentiality provisions regarding HIV-related information. The court determined that Article 27-F of the Public Health Law applies only to persons who provide health or social services, a category that did not include the complainant security officer. Consequently, the defendant's motion to preclude the HIV-related testimony was denied. However, the court granted the application to seal the underlying motion papers, citing the sensitive nature of the proceedings and the strong public policy favoring confidentiality.