In a decision that appears to have major implications for juvenile criminal defendants, a state appeals court has ruled that under equal protection principles a juvenile defendant must get the same impeachment evidence against his accusers as an adult defendant would get, despite the current law for juveniles being more restrictive.

The decision from the Appellate Division, First Department reverses a March 2021 trial-court decision that had not allowed the juvenile defendant, Jayson C., to obtain potential impeachment evidence against some or all of 14 police officers involved in an arrest and investigation that led to him facing weapons-possession charges.