New York Consolidated Laws, Criminal Procedure Law - CPL § 245.30 Court orders for preservation, access or discovery

1. Order to preserve evidence. At any time, a party may move for a court order to any individual, agency or other entity in possession, custody or control of items which relate to the subject matter of the case or are otherwise relevant, requiring that such items be preserved for a specified period of time. The court shall hear and rule upon such motions expeditiously. The court may modify or vacate such an order upon a showing that preservation of particular evidence will create significant hardship to such individual, agency or entity, on condition that the probative value of that evidence is preserved by a specified alternative means.

2. Order to grant access to premises. Without prejudice to its ability to issue a subpoena pursuant to this chapter and after an accusatory instrument has been filed, the defendant may move, upon notice to the prosecution and any impacted individual, agency, or entity, for a court order to access a crime scene or other premises relevant to the subject matter of the case, requiring that counsel for the defendant be granted reasonable access to inspect, photograph, or measure such crime scene or premises, and that the condition of the crime scene or premises remain unchanged in the interim. The court shall consider defendant's expressed need for access to the premises including the risk that defendant will be deprived of evidence or information relevant to the case, the position of any individual or entity with possessory or ownership rights to the premises, the nature of the privacy interest and any perceived or actual hardship of the individual or entity with possessory or ownership rights, and the position of the prosecution with respect to any application for access to the premises. The court may deny access to the premises when the probative value of access to such location has been or will be preserved by specified alternative means. If the court grants access to the premises, the individual or entity with ownership or possessory rights to the premises may request law enforcement presence at the premises while defense counsel or a representative thereof is present.

3. Discretionary discovery by order of the court. The court in its discretion may, upon a showing by the defendant that the request is reasonable and that the defendant is unable without undue hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent by other means, order the prosecution, or any individual, agency or other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the court, to make available for disclosure to the defendant any material or information which relates to the subject matter of the case and is reasonably likely to be material. A motion under this subdivision must be on notice to any person or entity affected by the order. The court may, on its own, upon request of any person or entity affected by the order, modify or vacate the order if compliance would be unreasonable or will create significant hardship. For good cause shown, the court may permit a party seeking or opposing a discretionary order of discovery under this subdivision, or another affected person or entity, to submit papers or testify on the record ex parte or in camera. For good cause shown, any such papers and a transcript of such testimony may be sealed and shall constitute a part of the record on appeal.