State of New York v. United States Department of Justice

Background

The case challenges conditions that the United States Department of Justice placed on Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funding for fiscal years 2017 through 2020. The opinion also refers to a related case brought by the City of New York.

The court had previously entered partial summary judgment for the plaintiffs on the 2017 conditions, but the Second Circuit later reversed that decision. The Second Circuit’s mandate had been stayed while the plaintiffs pursued review in the Supreme Court. The parties later stipulated to dismissal of the Supreme Court petitions, and the Second Circuit directed them to explain why its mandate should not issue.

The parties also told the court that disputes concerning the 2018 conditions remained pending and that agreements concerning the 2018, 2019, and 2020 funding remained in effect.

Request

All parties jointly asked the court to hold the proceedings in abeyance, meaning to pause them, for 30 days after the Second Circuit issued its mandate. They explained that this would give the Department of Justice additional time to review the grant conditions and would preserve the court’s and the parties’ resources.

Ruling

Judge Edgardo Ramos granted the parties’ request to stay the case for 30 days. The order addressed only the pause in proceedings; it did not decide the pending challenges to the grant conditions.