After he was convicted of killing a New York City Parole Officer, P. Bellamy requested--pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)--unredacted versions of witnesses' testimony, which hadn't been used at his trial, so that he could establish that a reversible error occurred.
When the NYPD refused to release those records, Bellamy filed suit with the New York County Supreme Court and a judge found in the guy's favor.
On appeal, the Appellate Division, First Department, thought the documents couldn't be released because a statutory exemption--which allows an agency to deny information when disclosure would endanger a person's "life or safety"--applied.
That sure got foiled.
To view a copy of the Appellate Division's decision, please use this link: Matter of Bellamy v. New York Police Dept.